Entropy
by Jaccione
Summary: Parker catches Jarod, what are the consequences, for all of them? Be warned. Entering SL-27 from which you may not return....so proceed at own risk ..Please read and review....thanks
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the characters, but I hope nobody minds me borrowing them for a little while. Nor do I own the rights to the song "Exit" by U2, from whom I also borrowed a little bit.  
  
Entropy  
  
11:30pm Jarod's Hotel Room Northern California  
  
The man entered the non-descript room and sighed. Why is it that all hotel rooms are the same? It didn't seem to matter to him whether it was expensive and luxurious, or cheap and roach infested.... At the end of the day they were always the same. Impersonal and uncaring. He would leave here tomorrow, and it would be as if he had never even been there at all.  
  
He flipped the light switch and threw his bag on the bed. A shower is what he needed. As he headed to the small bathroom, he could feel the beginnings of a tension headache making itself known. Hopefully the hot water would be enough to send it on its way before it took hold. He almost ripped off the suit and tie that he was wearing, how he hated the suits that he was often forced to wear in many of his pretends. He always felt the tie was suffocating him, and the suits conjured up nasty associations with sweepers. He sighed heavily and stepped into the stream of hot water and allowed himself to relax. And for a few brief minutes, he forgot that he had any cares in the world, relishing the feel of the water on his skin, he closed his eyes, rested his head against the tiles and stayed like that until the headache was gone.  
  
He wrapped a towel around his waist and perched himself at the small table. He looked at the silver case, hesitated a moment, but didn't open it. It was late, and he was tired, but the thought of sleep held little invitation, it was rare that he found respite there. Instead, he opened his red notebook and scanned the contents. He would buy tomorrow morning's paper, cut out the relevant article, and this little odyssey would be finished. Time to move on. The Pretend had been fairly simple, and it had all worked out in the end, he supposed, but he had this vague feeling of ..... what?..... too little, too late? He knew that all he could do sometimes was just try to pick up the pieces, help put back together shattered lives as best he could. But it somehow just didn't seem enough. No, that wasn't strictly true. It just never seemed enough recently. He did not have superpowers after all, he could not foresee bad things happening. Sydney had told him, on more than one occasion, that he could not save everybody.  
  
He stood up rapidly, knocking the chair askew, and started pacing the small room. This line of thinking was going nowhere. It was not like him to be this morbid. He desperately wanted to talk to someone, anyone, her. He was so very tired of being alone. Every where he went he carried his loneliness with him, like a beaten up but comfortable old leather jacket. But he did not reach for his phone, instead his mind turned to the trail of breadcrumbs he planned to leave. He needed to get out this mind-slump, and this had always been his favourite part. His mind loved the details, the puzzle and he would leave just enough clues to tantalize them, keep them busy long enough to ensure that he was safe, give him some breathing room. He knew that this game was dangerous, but it kept them playing by his rules to a certain degree. It gave them a certain level of predicability, and him a certain level of control. Not much, but perhaps enough. Thinking back over the past 6 or so years, it had served him well. Yes, they had caught up to him a few times, but for the most part, he had eluded them. He shuddered as he shook off the memory of the time just after Donoterase, his father, the boy....  
  
The boy, Gem his father was calling him now, was never far from his thoughts. He still had not come to terms with his brother, twin, son? His feelings were so mixed. White-hot hatred for the people who created him and would have kept him prisoner his entire life, to be used and exploited. Tenderness, protectiveness and a fierce desire to shield him, to give the boy the life that they both should have had. Yet at the same time, he was a little afraid of him, of himself he supposed. It was crazy, and his desire to talk to Sydney about it was almost overwhelming sometimes. It dismayed Jarod, this need to talk to Sydney, rather than his father. Sydney would understand in ways that the Major never could. Another thing that The Centre had stolen from him, he thought bitterly. It had been many months since he had called Sydney, but he buried the urge, deep where fears that are not understood, are never allowed out. He supposed that it was ironic, the one benefit that his life on the run had afforded him. The luxury of avoiding having to deal with it. This self-imposed separation kept them safe. Well, safer. He didn't know how he felt about the boy... about Gem , and that bothered him greatly. He was not used to being this vulnerable to things that he didn't understand. Everything else always came so easily, so naturally and his psyche just did not know how to deal with something that he did not know how to deal with. But the one thing he did know was that his father would love Gem and pour on him all the love that he had been unable to give Jarod. And this eased his guilt somewhat. The best gift Jarod could give was to stay away, not to threaten what little security and stability the Major could give him. He was damned sure that he would never allow The Centre to get their filthy hands on either of them ever again. He would die before he allowed that to happen.  
  
He took another look at the DSAs and decided he just wasn't up for another stroll down memory lane, perhaps sleep would come after all. He had barely slept over the last few days and he could feel the fatigue to the core of his being. During the Pretends, he found that there was usually too much to do, and he was way too wired to rest, but the Pretend was over now and his body was demanding some respite. Finally weariness overcame him and he sunk down onto the bed and crawled under the covers and his last thought before an uneasy sleep claimed him, as always, was of his mother.

* * *

1:00am The Centre Tech Room Blue Cove

Delaware Broots was immensely pleased with himself. He was tweaking a new program that he had been working on. He was so engrossed in his work, he didn't even realise the lateness of the hour. Debbie was at a friends for a sleepover, and he was anxious to see if his new program would work. If he was successful, it would mean that the computer searches that were constantly looking for hits on "Jarod" would be far more efficient. Mr Raines, Mr Lyle, even Miss Parker just didn't understand that you don't just type in the word Jarod, and poof, two minutes later the computer obediently spat out where their errant Pretender might be. Everybody wants everything yesterday. It wasn't as if he really wanted the man caught, he just wanted everybody off his case. Also, he found that the challenge of the chase and the lure of the technology often obscured the goal. It was just much easier if he didn't think about it. Now that Raines was in control, his life at The Centre was even more precariously in the balance.  
  
He didn't really know what went on in Scotland, but when they all got back, sans Jarod, things had quickly deteriorated. That was eight months ago now, but the shockwaves were still being felt. Miss Parker was even more frosty than ever before, although Broots could hardly blame her for that. Her father, correction, Uncle committing suicide by jumping from the plane. Raines turning out to be her real father, that'd be enough to send anyone off the deep-end, and then pitting her against her psychopathic brother in a race for their lives to catch Jarod....well, he was glad he was just a techie. For him, life had seemed to settle back into the "normal" routine. The chase was back on, Sydney was back doing whatever it was that Sydney did when not hunting for his former protégé. But even Broots could tell that things were not quite the same. Jarod's trail was becoming thinner, each new lair seemed to yield a little bit less, and most bizarrely of all, the practical jokes, mostly aimed at Miss Parker, seemed to be off somehow. Broots couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but he felt as if Jarod was somehow not as invested, for want of a better term, in it anymore, like it was an afterthought.  
  
A beep from his computer yanked him out of his ruminations. As he turned toward the screen, expecting it to tell him that it had finished its current cycle of diagnostics, he was shocked to see a hit on a Jarod Moore, an insurance fraud investigator, registered at a hotel in Red Bluff, Northern California. His mouth went dry and a nervous hand went up to stroke his bald pate.  
  
"Ahh, Mr Broots,....... I see you have a lead on Jarod" wheezed Mr Raines.  
  
Broots spun around, breathing heavily, he had not heard the tell-tale sounds of the faint whisper of the squeaky wheels. He had always thought it was really freaky how the man always just seemed to materialize at the most inopportune moments.  
  
"I...uh....I was.... Mr R-Raines" he finally stammered out. As he got a grip of himself.  
  
"Yes sir, I was just about to alert you, ummmm......there was a hit on a Jarod Moore in northern California, no confirmation yet sir, but it's the best lead we've had in a long time." The hunger in Raines' eyes made Broots feel nauseous. "Get the jet and inform Mr Lyle and Miss Parker."  
  
"What about Sydney?" was out of Broots' mouth before he could stop himself.  
  
"Tell him nothing...... I don't want him anywhere near this...... I question Sydney's commitment and I will not let Jarod slip through our fingers again." With that he spun on his heel and left.  
  
Broots let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding and reached out to pick up the phone with unsteady hands. He dialled Miss Parker's number and informed her that they had a lead on Jarod and the jet would be leaving in 30 minutes. She had obviously been asleep and was none too pleased to be woken. But she was all business when Jarod's name was mentioned. Broots had no doubt that she would make the plane on time. Now for the more unpleasant task. He considered putting it off and ringing Sydney instead, but in the end he dialled Mr Lyle's number and gave him the information. He found Mr Lyle in his office, Broots did not want to think about the things Lyle could be cooking up at The Centre in the middle of the night. He hung up the phone. It is best to leave well-enough alone. He did not want any part of Mr Lyle. Broots had not survived this long in this nest of vipers by being a fool. After the calls were place he rested his head on his arms and offered a silent prayer that Jarod would be gone by the time they got there. For a brief second, he considered calling the hotel, but then the corner of his eye caught the photo of Debbie on his desk, and he knew that he could never make that call. Jarod was smart, and clever, he would be ok. Instead he reached for the phone to let Sydney know that there was a possible sighting on Jarod and that Miss Parker and Mr Lyle had been sent to try and retrieve him. The phone rang and he nearly jumped out of his seat. "B-Broots here" he managed to stammer out.  
  
"Mr Broots,.... do not tell Sydney about any of this. He is to know nothing..... do you understand?"  
  
"Yes sir" his palms were sweaty and his breathing was shallow, it was as if Raines could read his thoughts. Now all he could do was wait and hope that he didn't run into Sydney. He desperately wanted to go home now, but he knew that that was no longer an option. Instead, he threw himself back into his programming, trying to push his clamouring thoughts out of his tired brain.

* * *

1:30am The Centre Hangar, Blue Cove 

Mr Lyle and Miss Parker arrived at the jet almost simultaneously. To look at the pair of them, an outsider would never know they were twins. Lyle doubted that two twins could ever have been more different. In the quite moments in the dark, he sometimes pondered whether things would have been very much different for him, if he had been given the life that his sister had, would they be more alike. He supposed it didn't matter really, but he wondered sometimes. As she got out of the car, he sighed and slipped back into full Mr Lyle mode. This very well could be the race of his life and he was damned sure that he wasn't going to lose.  
  
As Miss Parker got out of the car, she noticed her brother was already there. She took a deep breath and tried to arrange her face so that he wouldn't see the disgust that was there. It was going to be a long flight, with lots of aggravation at the end no doubt, and she didn't see the point in starting in with Lyle.  
  
"You ready?" she said as way of greeting.  
  
"Nice to see you too sis. Yes we are ready. Lets go get him" He loved to needle her with that particular term of endearment.  
  
"Just shut up and get on the plane", so much for not starting in with Lyle, but ....  
  
As they entered the plane they were followed by Sam and Willie who seemed to trail them like their shadows. Five other sweepers got on and they readied themselves for take-off. Neither Miss Parker nor Sam liked Willie. Sam's leg still ached sometimes from when Willie had put a bullet in it, and Miss Parker had never forgiven him for screwing it up when she had actually had Jarod right there. But there was no love lost on Willie's side either. He worked for Mr Raines, and Mr Lyle, and firmly believed that things would be a whole lot easier if that idiot Sam and the Ice Queen Bitch would just get out of his way. He had had a bad time after that incident, and it was very clear in his mind who was to blame. He was also very eager to get to Jarod. He owed Jarod big time.  
  
They all settled into their seats. Nobody spoke. The plane glided smoothly into the night and if all went well, they would have their prize in a few hours and could get back to their lives, such as they were.  
  
Miss Parker was staring out the window, lost in thought. This hit on Jarod was very unexpected, and if it was genuine, very fortuitous. It wasn't often they got a jump on Jarod, and the best part was that he wouldn't even know they were coming. The hunter in her was in full mode now, thinking about how best to ensnare her prey. He had slipped past them so many times before. It was not wise to underestimate him. As she ran scenarios through her mind, a ghostly voice tickled at the back of her mind "I've always known that..." but she clamped it down with a ruthlessness that surprised her, even scared her a little. It had been a long time since then, and she had more or less successfully avoided thinking about it. It was dangerous for her to let her thoughts wander there. Things at The Centre were more delicate then ever. She had yet to find an emotional keel for the startling revelations with regard to her newly defined family tree. Lyle and Raines, she still could not think of him as her father, were working on something, but as yet she had been unable to determine what it was, but it gave her a very uneasy feeling. She sensed that they were plotting something behind her back, and the more out of the loop she was, the less they needed her. She didn't want to think about what might happen then. She knew that they thought she was weak, that she was allowing her feelings for Jarod to control her, and she didn't think baby brother would think twice about getting her out of his way. Also the pressure to find Jarod was increasing. She didn't know what was in those damned scrolls, but the Triumvirate was becoming more impatient with the lack of results, and it seemed that Jarod was some kind of key. And to make matters worse, Jarod seemed to be slowly, but inexorably, removing himself from their radar. She had not failed to notice the diminishing amount of clues he left behind, even the pain-in-the- ass cryptic barbs he left for her seemed to be only half-hearted. Most alarming of all, however, was his total lack of contact. Even though she hated those early morning calls, waking her out of her deepest sleep, she worried that maybe something bad had happened to him. As far as she knew, he had not contacted Sydney in months either. And in all the years since he first escaped, he had never really gone very long without contacting either of them. Whether it was just to taunt or leave her some obscure breadcrumb to her past, sometimes to vent, but often for advice or help. It seemed like it was a lifeline for him. And now, months and not a whisper.....  
  
"Parker! Are you asleep?" She looked around to see Lyle looking at her "Well?"  
  
"Well what?" she snapped back.  
  
"No need to be nasty. I think we need to work together on this. Boy Wonder can be a slippery bastard.."  
  
Parker scoffed at his comment. "Tell me something I don't know."  
  
"What I am trying to say", his tone was smooth, almost playful, oh how he loved pushing her buttons. "Is that we cannot afford to let him get away...again"  
  
"What makes you think he is even there?" She snapped. "Just because that Moron Broots came up with a hit, doesn't mean squat. We've had leads like this a dozen times before."  
  
"There's no need to get your panties in a knot." He cast her a sideways glance, waiting for the snappy comeback, he was disappointed. "I'm just trying to suggest that on the off chance he is there, I want to make sure we catch the rat-bastard."  
  
She sighed, Lyle was right, and she hated that. Right now she hated Jarod. Dammit, this was all his fault. Why couldn't he.... She opened her mouth to say something, but Lyle was already continuing.  
  
".....problem was manpower. We always get so close, but there is always some avenue that we cant close off. He always manages to slip through some crack...."  
  
"What is your point?" she asked.  
  
"I was thinking......what if we went in separately? You take your team in and if you don't get him, he will think its business as usual. In the past, the near-misses have nearly always been the same." Lyle was animated now, shifting in his seat, excited. Parker could sense where he was going with this and felt a little flutter of excitement in her belly. Years of training and pursuit were hard to break. She silenced the Inner Voice before it had a chance to undermine her.  
  
"Yes...we will go in..... and if we miss him.."  
  
"When you miss him" Lyle interrupted with a sly grin.  
  
"He will do the bolt, confident that he has given me the slip...." She barely acknowledged his slight on her abilities. Lyles eyes were practically glowing.  
  
"And run straight into the arms of one of our other sweeper teams. I have contacted the local office and we have a team of twenty sweepers at our disposal. That makes nearly thirty all up. They know the area around the hotel, and if we can get in close enough without alerting Jarod, well we should be able to block off all forms of egress. He doesn't know we are coming, he won't be prepared, and he will never expect an army."  
  
He was practically gloating now, eager like a 4 year old that had just been told Santa was coming twice this year.  
  
"Jarod will think after eluding you and Sam, he will be home free." Lyle chuckled softly. "I also have another surprise up my sleeve for our lab rat. It amazes me that no-one ever thought of it before."  
  
"What are you babbling about now?" Paker snapped, but she had a very uneasy feeling. Lyle looked the proverbial cat that just ate the canary. She just hoped that she wasn't the canary.  
  
"Our biggest problem in the past", Lyle's excitement was almost at fever pitch. It didn't matter who actually bagged Jarod anymore, he knew either way, he would get the credit for his capture. He even hoped it was Parker, as long as she didn't threaten his position and security, he had no real desire to see her dead, well not anymore anyway. He continued "as I see it, is that we can't just shoot the bastard. I would hate to be the poor son-of- a-bitch that killed him by accident. So that got me thinking...."  
  
Parker snorted.  
  
Lyle didn't miss a beat.  
  
".... The sweepers, Sydney, hell, even you, have never had the courage to actually shoot him." Lyle saw her look, and placated her "Well, except in Florida, you missed and it didn't bring him in did it? Wait...wait...I don't blame you. But he knows that he is no good to us dead, he counts on it, which is why he always gets away."  
  
"Lyle what the hell are you talking about?" She was exasperated. She didn't like Lyle, or anyone for that matter, rehashing her failures in the past, and despite what Sydney thought, she really had tried to bring him down in Florida. "I know we can't kill him, but...the danger if they do shoot him....what do you propose?" she finally finished lamely. Lyle had obviously given this a lot of thought, and maybe he even had something.  
  
Lyle's smile was triumphant. The solution was so simple. He let it dangle until he could see she was losing her patience. "Tranquilliser guns."  
  
Even Parker had to admire the elegance. She knew that they couldn't kill him, and even when they threatened him with their guns, it never stopped him. He knew they couldn't afford a dead Pretender on their hands. So what did that leave, brute force? She had no chance of stopping him, it would take two, maybe even three sweepers to bring him down, and if it was public, things could get very tricky. As much as she hated to admit it, Lyle's solution was brilliant, and yet so simple.  
  
Lyle sat back and relaxed. He knew Parker thought it was a good plan, although she would die before she admitted it. He closed his eyes, not expecting her to reply. There were still another hour before they landed, and he wanted to go over some of the aspects of his plan in his mind. Jarod would be back at The Centre before nightfall, hopefully under his control. He had been laying the groundwork for that for a long time. After the debacle of the last time, he wanted to be prepared, to make sure his position was secure. Even after nearly a month, he had been unable to get Jarod's cooperation, and the sting of that failure was still with him. Then the escape, fortunately that could not pin that one on him, he sniggered as he thought of Sam taking the blame, "Better you than me buddy" he thought. This time would be different. He had thought long and hard and believed he had come up with a brilliant plan. Even Raines thought it was inspired, and he was the master. Oh yes, he had a bright future. He smiled at the thought of it.  
  
Miss Parker watched Lyle. He looked like he was resting, but she knew he was plotting, and the smile that came to his lips sent chills down her spine. She was ambivalent about her feelings. Listening to Lyle, she had caught his enthusiasm, and her desire to catch Jarod was strong. She wanted to show him that she was as good as he was. To punish him for all the years of torments, the endless chasing and taunts, the mindgames. She blamed him for the way her life was. If he had just stayed put.... her career in Corporate could have taken her anywhere she wanted to go. But instead, she'd wasted over half a decade of her life and only ever going backwards. He had taken everything in her life that she had believed in, everything that had given her a sense of stability, and she hated him for it. She knew that he had only given her the truth, and she understood that there was no real malice behind it, and in his own way, he had actually been helping her. But it was still bitter medicine, and it was very hard for her not to blame him. In fact, it was easier..... She blamed him for Tommy too. It was not reasonable, she knew that but didn't care, if it hadn't been for Jarod's pursuit, Tommy would still be alive. Even now, the hurt was still too raw, and it seemed more bearable somehow if everything was Jarod's fault. She knew that Sydney would have lots to say about that. But she clung to her negative feelings as if they were a life-raft. She would need them fairly soon.  
  
"What if he really is there?" she thought to herself. Did she really want him caught? She could guess what they would do to him if they did catch him. Could she live with herself? Things were very different from when she first started this insane pursuit. She knew a lot more now. Disturbing things. Jarod was not a Frankenstein's monster, and after all he had been through, after everything that was taken from him, everything he had been denied, didn't he deserve some peace? Some rest? They were friends once. She knew Jarod loved her... he had practically said as much in Scotland....but she had already known. The pain in his eyes in the back of that car, the hurt when she had pulled away. Despite all the negative feelings she was trying desperately to bolster, she felt very conflicted. Guilt and doubt were tearing at her. But what was she supposed to do? It really came down to a choice: her life or his?  
  
The plane started its descent. Lyle whispered a little prayer, as did his twin sister. They were not praying for the same thing.


	2. Chapter 2

Many thanks to Onisius, appreciated all your help. Please read and review. Hope you enjoy.  
  
5:00am Jarod's Hotel Room  
  
Jarod was in the throes of a nightmare. The scream "Noooo" died on his lips as he came to an abrupt consciousness. They were there every night, different, but somehow all the same. He untangled himself from his damp and twisted bed linen, and shakily made his way to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, he hated the feeling of the nightmare sweat on his body. He yearned for a night of peaceful rest and was reminded of lyrics he heard in a song that still haunted him:  
  
"You know he got the cure, you know he went astray, he used to stay  
awake to drive the dreams he had away. He wanted to believe in the  
hands of love."  
  
He had heard the song on the radio once, he had no idea who it was by, or what it was called, but he remembered the breathless quality, the almost menacing whisper of the singer and it had chilled him. He thought of it now as the shower washed away the last remnants of this night's horror movie. The details were already fading from his brain, and for this he was grateful. But there would be no more sleep now.  
  
He got dressed and made his way down to the local newspaper vendor. It was time to get going. There was hardly anybody about at this time of the morning, and he enjoyed the quiet peaceful feeling of a city at rest. Soon it would spring to life with all the usual hustle and bustle, and he would be gone, nobody really ever noticing he was there in the first place. Sometimes he felt like a ghost, or someone who didn't exist at all. He came in touched people's lives briefly, and then was simply not there anymore. He bought his paper and stopped on the way back for some coffee and doughnuts. How he loved sugary things. Sometimes he thought it was probably just as well that he was always on the run, with the amount of sugar he ate, he would be obese in no time if he didn't get so much exercise. He laughed softly to himself, shrugging off most of last nights depression. Jarod was not a depressed person by nature, and it was now time to play.  
  
As he entered his hotel, he did not notice that he was being observed, did not feel that prickle on the back oh his neck that should have informed him that the trap was about to spring shut. He made his way to his room, unlocked the door and entered. He sat at the table and carefully snipped the clipping from the paper. It wasn't headlines, just a small article about how the manager of a local insurance agency had been skimming money from insurance payouts to people that had made claims after their houses had been destroyed, or broken into. As he was finishing his coffee and doughnuts, he read that the offender had been arrested and the insurance company had promised to make full restitution to the victims. Jarod had made it very difficult for the company to manoeuvre themselves out of it, as most insurance companies were wont to do. He would also follow up on this later, just to ensure that justice was done. He pasted the article in and closed the red notebook. He stared down at it and run his hand over the smooth cover. He let his mind wander, daydreaming about nothing in particular. It was always a pleasure to empty his mind and just let it be free for a moment. He breathed deeply, opened his eyes and put the notebook down. He got up from the chair and started to tidy up the small room. He had no idea where he was going next. He had no car at the moment, so he had figured that he would just jump on the next bus and see where it took him. As he gathered up the empty Pez dispensers, he placed one on the red notebook. It was Road Runner. He grinned to himself, and decided that would be all that he would leave. He thought about how they would puzzle over that for a while, sometimes, less is more. He glanced around the room once again, just double-checking, after all he didn't want to leave any unintended leads. He had not managed to hold on to his freedom this long by being sloppy. He closed the door to the room and made his way down the hall to the elevator.  
  
Centre Limo  
Lyle and Parker were in the back of a limo as it sped on its way to the hotel. It had been confirmed. Not half an hour ago, Jarod had been seen buying a newspaper, and then some coffee and breakfast. The excitement was almost palpable.  
  
"This is it then?" Parker broke the silence. "Are you sure your people know what to do?"  
  
Lyle gave her a withering look. "Of course. They are tailing him, keeping out of sight and will wait until we get there before making any move. Between us and the sweepers, we have it covered, all are armed with tranq guns, and at this time in the morning, well it should be very hard for him to slip by." Lyle was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"You better be right" she snapped back. "You know what it will mean for the both of us if he gets away."  
  
"Why do you always have to be such a bitch? I'm doing you a favour here, show some gratitude. And he  
  
won't get away. That's a promise." Sometimes Lyle just didn't understand her at all. "You and Sam approach the hotel room, snatch him if you can, but if you can't, he will make a run for it. Hopefully he will think its just the two of you."  
  
"That's the way it usually is, he knows I don't play well with others. Provided your boys haven't dropped the ball and given the game away, we should be ok . Either way, he will be panicked and make a run for it. He always has some back way out, so you just make sure that your people get there first."  
  
"Oh don't you worry. Its covered." He handed her the gun. "Don't be afraid to use it. It should put him down almost immediately, and he should be out for a couple of hours. That gives us plenty of time to get him back to the jet."  
  
She looked down at the gun, it was heavier and more unwieldy than her 9mm, and she guessed it was nowhere near as accurate and would have a limited range. But she had to admit to herself, it was pure genius on Lyle's part, a perfect solution to the problem. She shook her head, why hadn't anyone ever thought of this before?  
  
The car had pulled up at the front of the dingy hotel. Miss Parker got out and the car took off. A sweeper approached her to inform her that he was still in the building. Miss Parker waited for Sam who was just pulling up in the following car and they made their way into the lobby.  
  
"You ready Sam?" She asked.  
  
"Just say the word." He answered in his husky voice.  
  
He was eager to get Jarod back, not only to please his boss, but he had some issues with Jarod as well. After Jarod had escaped from the plane they were transferring him to Africa on, it was Sam who took the brunt of the blame. It was his responsibility, and Jarod had made him look very bad. It had take Sam nearly a year to earn his position back. They had placed him on every shitty detail the Centre had to offer. But he had slowly worked his way back up, and if he could help snare Jarod, well hopefully it would secure his position once again. One thing was for sure, Jarod would not escape on Sam's watch ever again. As they rode up the elevator to the third floor, Sam could feel Miss Parker's nervousness.  
  
"Don't worry Miss Parker, we'll get him" and he patted his gun. Miss Parker didn't know if she was more worried that they would get Jarod, or that they wouldn't. Until the sighting had been confirmed, she had secretly hoped it was a false-alarm. Part of her was excited by the prospect of possibly catching him, and part of her was appalled. But the moment was nearly here and she didn't know what she felt. She knew Sam had misinterpreted her nervousness, and she didn't correct him. She just grunted at him. Miss Parker drew her own gun as the elevator came to a halt.  
  
As the elevator doors slid open, it would be hard to say who was more surprised. Miss Parker, standing in front of Sam, staring at Jarod, or Jarod, who looked like he had turned to stone. For a few seconds no-one moved. Then Jarod broke the spell and ran like hell down the hallway.  
  
"Jarod!" parker yelled. "Stop right there or I swear to God I will shoot you! There's nowhere to go!" Jarod's step didn't even falter. He pushed through the door into his room and was making for the fire-escape through the window. He heard Sam yelling and blundering down the hall and Parker screaming something.  
  
Sam almost pushed Parker out of the way and starting chasing Jarod, but Jarod already had the jump on him, and rounded a corner. Sam did not know which room he had entered. There was no other exit that way, the hall ended in a blank wall. The stairs were at the other end of the hall. Tough luck Jarod!  
  
Parker's mind was racing. She had already missed her first opportunity to shoot him, and as she run after Sam, she was working purely on instinct. No rational thought now, just the chase.  
  
Jarod had entered his room and was halfway through the window when he noticed black cars coming from everywhere and a cluster of sweepers on the ground, three stories below him. His heart was pounding and his breathing was ragged. "How the hell did they find me?" ran through his brain. He knew that going down was no longer an option, so what did that leave, the roof? He craned his head and gasped as he saw two sweepers already on their way down. Oh Christ! He was trapped. He got out of the window, back into the room, just in time to see Sam burst through the door, with Parker on his heels.  
  
They had done this dance many times. Somehow he had always gotten away. He really didn't believe Parker had it in her to shoot him, she'd had enough opportunities, but never took one of them. Deep down he also believed that she wouldn't allow him to be taken back to The Centre. After all that they had gone through together...he would take his chances with her any day, rather than the advancing sweeper teams. Sam was the most immediate threat. Jarod launched himself at him.  
  
Sam was a big man and rock solid, but was knocked over as the full weight of Jarod careened into him. Air whooshed out of Sam's lungs. He and Jarod fell in a tangle to the floor. As he went down, Sam's head caught the edge of the table and the last thought he had before he passed out was that he had dropped his gun.  
  
As Jarod was getting up, he noticed Parker had aimed her gun at him.  
  
"Give it up Jarod" she almost whispered.  
  
"You know I can't." He rose slowly, the DSA case still in his hand. He didn't take his eyes off of hers.  
  
"Please, just let me go" He watched her waver, and a small twist came to his mouth, not quite a smile. Her gun dropped a fraction, and he nudged his way closer to the door. She would not shoot him. She could not shoot him. Every second he was becoming more sure of it. But seconds were all he had. If he didn't make a move now, the others would be here soon enough. He managed to get out the door and started his way down the hallway.  
  
"What the hell am I doing?" she asked herself. Jarod was easing his way out of the room and she was just standing there like a rabbit caught in the headlights that were about to run it over. She could see his confidence building and then he turned his back on her and started down the hall. She stepped out in the hallway. His back was an easy target. She raised her gun, but she couldn't bring herself to squeeze the trigger. So she just stood there.  
  
Jarod was almost at the end of the hall. His heart was trip- hammering, he desperately wanted to run but was afraid it might break the spell Parker was under. He could feel every second bringing him closer to capture. He felt like screaming. He still hoped that there was enough time, a way out. Then he heard the elevator ping.  
  
Lyle and Willie rode up in the elevator. His sweeper teams had informed him that Jarod had re-entered the hotel room. Lyle assumed either Parker and Sam had him, or he was somewhere on this floor. The elevator came to a halt and the doors slowly opened.  
  
"Jarod stop!" Parker yelled. The ping of the elevator had snapped her out of whatever-the-hell spell Jarod had cast over her. She saw Lyle and Willie in the elevator, Jarod's back nearly at the end of the hall. And with Lyle and Willie as her witnesses, she made her decision. She closed her eyes and silently said "I'm sorry" and fired. She did not miss.  
  
Immediately after the ping of the elevator, Jarod heard Parker scream at him. He still did not believe that she would kill him. But he was almost in a state of total panic now. He had to get out right now. He certainly couldn't count on any of the other sweepers being squeamish. Even under his panic, he was fairly sure they wouldn't kill him, but a shot to the leg, and it was all over. And oh Lord, there were so many of them! He started to run. He did not hear the soft "pfuth" of the gun, and even as the projectile slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground, he was absolutely adamant in his belief that Parker didn't have it in her. His last thought before the blackness claimed him was "She wouldn't."  
  
Lyle stepped out of the elevator just in time to hear Parker screaming and to see the Pretender go down. He cast a quick glance at Parker, barely noticing her really. He had him! Jarod was lying at the end of the hall, unconscious already, and a nasty looking dart hanging from the shoulder of his leather jacket. Lyle walked up to him and nudged him none too gently with his foot. The downed man didn't move. He kicked a little harder. No response. Next to him was the DSA case. Oh this was just too good to be true! His only regret was that he couldn't see the look on Jarod's face as he realised that it was Parker that had gunned him down.  
  
"Willie, cuff him." He ordered the sweeper. Now that he had Jarod secured, he had no more interest in him for the moment. He sauntered up to Miss Parker. Things could not have turned out any better. It was quick and clean, and best of all, no witnesses. That meant no messy clean-ups, no T- boards trying to explain yet another failure. Yes, he thought to himself, it could not have worked out any better.  
  
"Didn't think you had it in you sis. Dad is gonna be so pleased" he made a move to embrace her, but a quick look at her face made him change his mind.  
  
Parker's mind was racing, and numb at the same time. She briefly wondered how that was possible. Time was moving quickly and slowly. She had committed herself now. Guilt and all the rest would come later, but for the moment she had to deal with Lyle. She had to be a Parker, or was it a Raines? Either way, she was playing a deadly game, but perhaps the only certain thing she knew about herself was that she was a survivor.  
  
She dared not look up the hall. She did not want to see Jarod's prone form, his hands cuffed behind his back. She did not want to face the ramifications of her actions, not yet. By not looking at him, she could almost deny what had just happened. Other sweepers had arrived and she heard Willie and Lyle organising what was to be done with Jarod.  
  
"Sam.. I have to check on Sam" she stuttered out, trying to avoid her brother. She entered Jarod's hotel room and found a groaning Sam. Other sweepers were entering from the window. She was all business now.  
  
"Help him down to the car, and tell the jet to be ready, we should be there in 40 minutes."  
  
Lyle entered the room, he was on the phone. "Yes we have him"..he flashed a grin at Miss Parker...."No problems"...."unconscious for the moment".."about an hour or so"...."no, we would not want that, don't worry, I have taken appropriate precautions"...."I don't really foresee any difficulties"..."sometime late this afternoon."  
  
"Raines?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Who else?" Lyle was now the model of calm and collected. "How does it feel?"  
  
"How does what feel?" she shot back.  
  
He looked injured, "Oh come on, how did it feel to put a bullet, well sort of, into his back? I only wished I could have done it myself. I bet he didn't think you would do it, ohhh how I would have loved to seen the look on his face."  
  
She could not hide the disgust in her face. "Lets get out of here."  
  
By the time the two of them made it back down to the cars, Jarod and Sam were both safely loaded and on their way back to the airstrip. The timing had been very fortuitous, the streets were still empty, no-one seemed to be aware of the little drama that had just played out. They had successfully retrieved Jarod and the DSA case. The Centre had always been very nervous about the DSA's being in Jarod's possession. The potential for Jarod to use them as leverage against The Centre had always been their primary concern, but also, The Centre just hated it when someone took something that was rightfully theirs. He smiled as Parker closed her door and the car took off. "Perfect."  
  
"Are you planning to keep him sedated for the whole trip?" Parker asked, trying to sound nonchalant. She did not want to have to face Jarod on the plane. She was not prepared yet to face the consequences of what she had done, the accusing looks, the hurt and blame that would be in his eyes. Lyle misunderstood her concern.  
  
"Don't worry. I have taken care of everything. There is no way out for him."  
  
She was grateful for the misunderstanding and seized on it.  
  
"Don't be a fool!" She snapped. "Jarod and Centre planes are not a good mix. We have never managed to successfully transport Jarod on a plane."  
  
"Calm down." He interrupted. "I am not an idiot." He ignored her derisive snort. "No, I am not going to keep him sedated, I plan to have a little fun with him. He will not get away. Trust me on that."  
  
"Ok then. This is on your head." She jabbed him, hard, in the chest, "I caught him, so it's your job to make sure he doesn't get away. I want nothing more to do with him. I am out of it."  
  
They made the rest of the trip in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Lyle was busy refining his ideas on how to get their Boy Wonder to cooperate, and he had many colourful ideas on that topic. Miss Parker had entered into a kind of shock. She should have felt triumphant, but she still couldn't quite believe what had happened and she was trying her best not to think about what would be happening soon. She would go back to The Centre and play her part. Take the praise for capturing their prize lab rat, and try to leave that place once and for all. They had Jarod now, and he was the price for her getting out. It was a high price to pay, but it was done now, and she wanted what she was due.  
  
As they approached the airstrip, the cars came to a halt. Parker and Lyle got out of the car and started towards the plane. Jarod's inert form hung limply between Willie and Sam. Had their grips been any tighter, Jarod's arms would have snapped. But both the sweepers knew what was at stake here, and there was no way they were letting their guard down. Sam, perhaps better than anyone, knew how crafty Jarod was. Sam hefted Jarod's weight as they started towards the plane.  
  
When everyone was aboard, the plane started on its journey home. Lyle checked on Jarod's security. He was in the back of the plane, still unconscious. Willie was strapping him to the chair with thick leather belts across his chest, abdomen and the top of his legs.  
  
"Are you sure they're tight enough? I don't want him to be able to wriggle out of them." He tested the belt across Jarod's chest. He could not move it.  
  
"Don't worry Mr Lyle, Houdini himself couldn't get out of that. And even if he could.." He looked over at Sam "..It wouldn't do him any good."  
  
Both Sam and Willie parked themselves in chairs on either side of Jarod, not close enough to be touching him, but in easy reach should Jarod try anything. But the expressions on their faces showed clearly that they didn't think he would.  
  
Lyle sidled up to Jarod and grabbed a handful of hair in his gloved fist. He pulled his head up so that he could see Jarod's face. "Oh Jarod, we are going to be such friends." He whispered, almost a lovers caress. He picked up the hood that was lying near Willie. "Put this on him, make sure it doesn't come off. And come get me when he starts to wake". With that Lyle left them and went to the front of the plane.  
  
Willie placed the black hood over the head of the sleeping Pretender and secured the cord around Jarod's throat with a knot tight enough to ensure Jarod couldn't shake it off, but not so tight as to restrict his airways.  
  
Sam shoved the Pretender hard. His body barely moved and he made no response. "Well sweet Prince, I guess it's good night for you again." He chuckled. "He ain't going nowhere!" he stated to no-one in particular. Willie grunted his agreement.  
  
As Lyle reached Parker at the front of the jet, she was nursing her second scotch.  
  
"Ahem, a little early don't you think?" He eased himself into the chair across from her. She gave him a withering look, gulped the rest of the drink and shot back "I earned it!"  
  
"Hey, you get no argument from me there." He tilted his head and smiled, raising his hands in submission. "What a great team we make sis. I never doubted it for a minute."  
  
"Look. Lyle. I am tired. I've had no sleep. Why don't you go play with your little friends in the back? You got what you wanted. I'm sure you've got Jarod wrapped up like a Christmas present back there." She squeezed the bridge of her nose. She could feel the migraine already, and it wasn't even mid-morning yet. "Please, just leave me alone. I need some sleep."  
  
He graced her with his most winning smile. She was right, he had what he wanted. So he would be magnanimous. He would give her some quiet time. And he did have his "Christmas Present" to play with after all. That would be a delicious way to pass the time on the flight. He got up, grabbed himself some juice, and sauntered back to Sam, Willie and Jarod.  
  
The scotch had taken the edge off the migraine. But it was still there. Lyle's glee was grating. It was going to be very difficult to get through this day. A hot flush of shame burned through her. It would be infinitely worse for Jarod. And she suspected there would be many long days, and nights ahead for Jarod. She shook herself, she would walk out of The Centre today. Walk out and never look back. They wouldn't be able to hold Jarod for long. They caught him unawares today, but he would find a way out, and probably a lot sooner than they expected. Would they call her back once he escaped? She groaned at the though of it. She was damned tired of this life. Hah, that was a joke! What life? She needed to get as far away as possible. The Centre be damned. Somewhere, deep down, she knew it was a fantasy, but the lure of it pulled at her, and she didn't want to let it go. It was much more pleasant than facing the reality. "Jarod" she whispered to herself, "What else could I have done? What did you expect me to do? Damn you, its not fair!" There was safety in anger and resentment.  
  
Where was her inner voice now? Would it abandon her? She knew that her mother would be ashamed of her, she was ashamed of herself. She stared out the window and refused to think about it anymore. She needed to gather her strength for the upcoming confrontation with Raines. She was leaving, and the internal war she was waging weakened her, she needed all of her resolve, and everybody else could go to hell!  
  
Lyle sat down opposite "his" Pretender. Jarod was just starting to come around, it wouldn't be too long now. He smiled in anticipation. Miss Parker had surprised him today. He had believed that she had lost her touch, if it really had ever been there in the first place. He had been prepared to sacrifice her, if it had come to that. But he was glad that it hadn't, he had found a way to secure his future, both their futures really. Not that she would appreciate it, he scoffed at the thought. She was his sister after all, and besides, she certainly made life interesting. Also Lyle had big plans for his sister and her role in keeping their recalcitrant Pretender under control. Lyle had no illusions about that, getting Jarod back to work was not going to be easy. But he and Raines had been working on that particular problem for a long time now. He believed he had the perfect solution, and that thought gave him a warm feeling inside. "This is going to be the most fun I have had in years" he was thinking to himself. A groan from Jarod brought him back to reality. He looked at Sam and Willie then brightly said "Its showtime!" 


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: here is chapter three, hope you enjoy. Please read and review....let me know if I should continue.....this is not going quite where I expected it too.....  
  
Entropy Pt 3  
  
10:00am The Centre Sydney's Office  
  
Sydney was at his desk transcribing notes from a previous session. But his thoughts were occupied elsewhere. Of late he had become more distracted and listless. He found it harder to lose himself in his work, most of which he thought was tedious and not worth his time. His eyes flicked over to the model in the corner and he sighed. He finally gave up any pretence of work, turned off the recorder, placed his pen on the desk and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and stretching his arms above his head.  
  
"Ahh.umm..sorry Sydney.." Broots was shuffling uncomfortably in the doorway. "I have.those printouts are ready for you..are you ok?"  
  
"I am fine Broots" a ghost of a smile touched his lips, "Just tired, that's all."  
  
"Oh.oh that's good. Well I gotta be off." Broots eyes were looking desperately for something on the floor. "See ya round." He placed the folders on the desk and then made a scrambled getaway out the door.  
  
"Wait a minute, Broots" but the Doctor was talking to the closing door.  
  
Something was obviously up, and Broots didn't want to talk about it. Sydney hoped that nothing was wrong with Debbie. But he didn't think so. He suspected it was Centre business, and more specifically, business that affected him, or perhaps Miss Parker. Broots was always reluctant to hand over any information that he thought would hurt his friends, Sydney found this quality in him rather endearing. He frowned and reached for the phone and dialled Miss Parker's office, only to be informed by her secretary that Miss Parker was not in yet, and did not know here whereabouts, nor when she was expected back. A small tingle of alarm went of in Sydney's mind, but there was nothing to worry about yet. He then tried her home, only to get the machine. He put the phone down. The thought "Don't go looking for trouble, it will find you soon enough" ran through his head.  
  
He was about to resume his transcribing when the phone rang. He looked at it and paused before answering. For that brief moment he felt the anticipation, the faint flicker of hope that it was Jarod calling. It had been a long time since he had heard from his former protégé, and Sydney was worried. Jarod had never before gone this long without calling. Sydney knew that he had called Parker, at least once, but he didn't think that he had been in much contact with her either. She had been acting strangely since her return from Carthis. Sydney knew that she was greatly disturbed by the revelations that he and Broots had discovered with respect to her family. However, Sydney didn't think that this was the only thing that was weighing on her mind. He had tried many times to talk to her about it, but she had kept her own counsel and refused to talk to him. Over the past few months she had become more withdrawn, and more openly hostile. Sydney did not doubt that whatever it was, it was also the reason behind Jarod's continuing silence. He closed his eyes and picked up the receiver.  
  
"Hello, this is Sydney", his eyes opened and his shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Yes, I will be there in ten minutes"  
  
A summons to The Chairman's office. The small anxiety that had started with Broots and then with Miss Parker stepped up a notch. I wasn't full blown yet, but Sydney had a bad feeling. A visit to the Chairman's office was never good. As he made his way to Raines' office, thoughts were racing through his head. He hoped Parker was ok, what was Broots hiding? Perhaps they had a lead on Jarod. He had reached the office and was ushered in.  
  
"Sydney" Mr Raines wheezed.  
  
"What can I help you with Mr Raines?" Sydney stood in front of the desk. From all outward appearances, he looked calm and collected. Nothing of his anxiety showed on his face.  
  
"Sit down." Raines gestured to a chair.  
  
Sydney's anxiety went up another notch. Raines had a satisfied look on his face, and what would pass for a smile. As Sydney lowered himself into the chair, his heart sank. Whatever it was, it was not going to make Sydney happy.  
  
"It has been a while since we have talked..How are things going in the sim labs?"  
  
Sydney knew for certain now. It was bad. Raines had no interest in Sydney's work and was just enjoying playing with him. But Sydney was an old expert at playing these kinds of games.  
  
"Well sir, as you know, everything is going according to schedule. Unfortunately, we have had no remarkable results. Everything is in my reports. It is my estimation that this line of research is a waste of time and resources."  
  
"Yes. I have come to the same conclusion... I have a new project for you to start..Be ready in a few days." he had to pause. He drew in a few very heavy breaths. He sounded like a man that was drowning. But he could not keep the excitement out of his face or voice.  
  
Sydney waited patiently to be punched in the gut with whatever news was about to hit him.  
  
"What new project would that be?"  
  
Raines' smile made Sydney's heart miss a beat. All of a sudden it was hard to breathe and he knew it before Raines even opened his mouth.  
  
"We have Jarod!" The satisfaction was nauseating. Raines was watching Sydney very carefully.  
  
Sydney was glad he was sitting down. He surely would have fallen. His mind screamed "no", silencing that tiny spark that was still buried. That tiny voice that yearned to have Jarod back, yearned to be back at the most rewarding work of his life. He sat there staring dumbly at Raines, unable or unwilling to process the information.  
  
"I knew how happy you would be.. and I wanted to tell you... in person". Raines was enjoying this moment. It had been too long in coming. Under his leadership, he would get The Centre back on track. He was pleased with Lyle's plan to keep Jarod under control and cooperative, and if it destroyed Sydney in the process, well so much the better.  
  
He watched with undisguised glee as the other man tried to pull himself together. Raines had to admire the effort Sydney was putting in. Sydney's self-control was quite remarkable. He just could not wipe the grin off his face today.  
  
"When will I be able to see him?" Sydney was all business now.  
  
"The jet should be back early this afternoon." now to stick in the knife "..But I am afraid you will not be allowed access for a few days."  
  
Sydney was on his feet. "Why not..you know I am the best qualified to handle Jarod. You.."  
  
"Calm down." He interrupted. Sydney had reacted exactly the way Raines had expected. ".You will get your chance...but first we have to see to security...and other matters." Raines then went to pick up the phone.  
  
"You are dismissed" he wheezed as an afterthought without even looking at Sydney.  
  
Sydney's eyes bored into the top of Raines bald head, and getting no response, he stormed out of the office. The one thought on his mind was to find Broots.  
  
Raines was on the phone organising the last minute details. He had to ensure that Jarod did not get away again. Mr Parker had always been very complacent in this, he felt. But Raines was a patient man, accustomed to long-term projects. The work on SL-27 was not yet complete, but would do nicely to house their escapee, permanently. The rest of the work would progress on schedule. He did not think that the return of Jarod should upset their timetable at all. Jarod might even be able to help speed things along. He chuckled to himself at that thought. He was very pleased at Sydney's reaction. Sydney had always been so predictable, so easy to manipulate. Raines knew that Sydney had been an impediment to the ongoing pursuit of Jarod, but now he was going to be his biggest asset. The irony was delicious. He had every confidence in both his son and Mr Cox. The phone rang and got back to the business of organising for the prodigal son's return.  
  
As Sydney was making his way to the tech room, he forced himself to calm down. He needed a cool head, he needed to think. This explained both Broots' nervousness, and Miss Parker's absence. He did not believe that Parker really would bring Jarod in. Over the years he had watched her soften, become less like her father, and more like her mother. Could he have misjudged her so badly? What had happened on that damned island? Did Jarod do something to turn her against him? He needed answers.  
  
Broots was sitting at his computer and did not hear Sydney come in. Sydney grabbed his arm and spun the now terrified techie around.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.  
  
Broots at least had the decency not to try to deny it.  
  
"Sydney..I..I..Raines told me not...I'm sorry" he finished finally and hung his head.  
  
Sydney gathered himself and took a steadying breath. "I am sorry. I know it is not your fault. I am just in shock. I can't be true. God, I am so angry I could kill that smug bastard."  
  
"Sydney, calm down please" Broots was really afraid now. He glanced around furtively to see if anyone was watching them. "What did Raines tell you?"  
  
"Only that they had Jarod. That they will be back sometime this afternoon. Please tell me what has happened, please tell me that it's a mistake."  
  
Broots lowered his voice "Last night we got a hit on Jarod in northern California. I was running a diagnostic programme, one of my own actually." he saw Sydney's look."...well, it was just a fluke really, just dumb luck and I wasn't even sure it was Jarod. Well, it was Jarod, but .you know lots of people have first names that start... And right at that moment he turned up. I swear he has some kind of evil sixth sense. So I called Miss Parker and Mr Lyle and was about to call you..but Raines said not to ..so I waited till he left..and was about to call you..and you wont believe it...he called me to warn me not to tell you...Sydney...I...I really wanted to tell you...but..Raines.." Sydney put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. None of this was his fault.  
  
"Broots, its alright. Now, can you tell me what's happening now?"  
  
"I don't know... there have been new security arrangements...but they are separate from the main system. Independent...I don't know who's setting them up..but I do know where they are for.."  
  
Sydney had that bad feeling again. Broots' voice dropped to a whisper "SL- 27"  
  
"But that's impossible". Sydney's voice had also dropped.  
  
"Sydney, c'mon, this is The Centre. Nothing is impossible. I would bet that's where they are gonna take him."  
  
Sydney's mind was racing. "Broots, find out everything you can about SL-27. What have they done to it since the bombing. Someone, find out who Raines has put on this, has been busy down there. Find out everything. Access in and out, security, everything. But keep it quiet. Come only to me..."  
  
"What about Miss Parker?" he interrupted.  
  
"She can't know anything about this!" he snapped. He closed his eyes and tried to get hold of his rampaging emotions. "Broots, just lets keep this between us, for the moment. Please." With that he left for his own office. He needed some time to himself. He needed to think.  
  
Broots was left standing in the room by himself. He could not remember ever seeing Sydney so upset. It was now obvious that they had caught Jarod. He sat down in his chair and picked up the photo of his daughter. "I'm sorry Jarod, I never wanted this." He stared at the photo in his hand, and fighting back the guilt, he went to work. He was sure that Sydney would want to help Jarod, and Broots would do anything that he could to help. But they would have to be very careful. It was much easier for Sydney, he really had nothing to lose anymore. Broots did not have that luxury. He placed the photo back and turned to his machine. It was time to go hunting. Just the name of SL-27 was enough to send him into the cold sweats. He knew this would not be easy. Whatever had been going on had been very covert. But he had an idea that Mr Lyle and Mr Cox would be a very good start. The two of them gave him the same feeling as SL-27. It wasn't much, but it was all he had.  
  
Sydney was back in his office, resting his head in his hands. He felt sick with grief. He squeezed his eyes shut, but it did not stop the tears from falling. He allowed himself this time to weep, this time to grieve. Jarod would need him soon and Sydney could not afford to be handicapped by raw, uncontrollable emotions. He would do whatever it took, make whatever sacrifice was needed, but he would ensure that Jarod got out and that he would be safe, once and for all. After the worst of his emotions were spent, he went about organising all of his files, tying up all the loose ends. It helped pass the time and helped him clear his head. When Jarod came, there would be nothing to distract him. Sydney's focus would be absolute. Now all he could do was wait.  
  
Sydney did not notice the blue eyes peering at him from the air vent. Angelo could feel the pain coming off Sydney in waves. He felt like he was drowning in it. It was so consuming that Angelo couldn't figure out what was wrong. The only thing he knew was "Jarod". Jarod was in some kind of trouble, maybe Jarod was dead. Angelo crept back through the maze that was his home, found his safe "space" and cried himself to sleep.  
  
SL-27  
  
Mr Cox was disappointed that he had not been invited on the company excursion to go collect their wayward Pretender, but things don't always go your way, and he still had much work to do down here. When Raines had taken command, he had ordered that his old playground be restored. Cox had no idea what kind of projects Raines had planned for down here, he didn't really care.  
  
The last six months had seen extensive renovations. Secrecy had slowed down the progress somewhat, but it was almost done now. There had originally been over a hundred rooms, many of them small cells, but the bomb had gutted it. The room that would now house Jarod was at the far end of the twisting hallways, the last in a long string of cells. There was also an extensive sim lab, medical facilities, a gym which included a pool and a large shower block. Some residential quarters had been set up for staff if it was required. A large kitchen with enough stores to feed up to twenty people for two weeks if necessary. Both the power and security could be operated independently from the main system. At least a quarter of the space was empty, awaiting the completion of renovations. A single elevator now came down to this level and the old sewer access had been removed. The only way in, or out, was through the elevator shaft. The elevator only came down to this level with passcode access. And only himself, Raines and Lyle knew that passcode.  
  
An extremely extensive system of cameras and infrared detectors had been placed throughout the entire sublevel. The system was not yet online, and this was one of the few remaining things Cox had to set up. This was not his usual area of expertise, but it was always good, he thought to himself, to stretch one's self.  
  
The rest of The Centre did not know of its existence, or if they did, did not know that it had been resurrected. Cox was currently checking on the final security arrangements for Jarod's cell and the sim lab. Although he had never actually met the man, he knew what he was capable of. He had familiarised himself with Jarod's previous escapes from The Centre. He was confident that all that could be done to improve security had been done. The security on what he had come to think of as "his" level, was unprecedented. No-one, not even Jarod, could get out of here. Well, at least he hoped so, he had bet his life on it.  
  
He finished his last inspection and headed for the elevator at the end of the hall. The anticipation was building in him now. He had been working with Lyle and Raines for months, planning for Jarod's eventual return, and now that the moment was nearly here, he almost couldn't believe it. He waited patiently for the elevator to descend, turning over the problems of ensuring Jarod's cooperation in his mind. The doors opened and he entered the car. He absently pushed the button that would deposit him on the same floor as Raines' office. He smiled to himself. He hoped Jarod didn't break too easily.  
  
The Centre Jet, 20 minutes out of Blue Cove  
  
Jarod was struggling back to consciousness very slowly. He had been having the most horrendous nightmare, even by his standards. Miss Parker had found him, and he was trapped. He was trying to run, in a complete state of panic now, and she had shot him. As he was thrown forward, landing heavily on the ground, all he could think was "No, she wouldn't kill me." As he tried to shrug off the nightmare, the first thing he was aware of was the enormous sense of relief. It was just a dream! Parker would never shoot him. The next sense to hit him was pain, and it was absolute. He hurt everywhere. His chest and wrists were on fire, and he felt like he had been stabbed in the small of his back. His shoulder, legs and face also hurt, but to a lesser degree. He could hardly breathe. He was nearly fully conscious now, and he opened his eyes and saw nothing but black. He tried to move and found that he couldn't. Panic hit him full force. His already laboured breathing become more difficult and he began to hyperventilate, sucking in shallow rapid breaths.  
  
"Calm down Jarod. There is no need for you to worry, you are among friends", Jarod could hear the smile in the voice and he felt sick. All the fight went out of him. He forced himself to relax, he had to get control of his breathing.  
  
"Lyle", it was only a whisper.  
  
"See Willie, I told you he was smart". Both Willie and Sam snorted in amusement.  
  
Jarod closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. He heard Lyle say "that's ok buddy, you take your time, I know what a bitch it is when you've just woken up and there's no goddamn coffee.."  
  
Jarod filtered out Lyle and tried to assess the situation. He couldn't see anything but black. He shook his head, but the hood did not move and he could feel the cord pull lightly at his throat. He could hear an engine and feel the slight vibration through the floor. That probably meant they were on a Centre jet on the way back to Blue Cove. He suppressed a shudder. Something was strapped around the tops of his legs, his abdomen and chest, pressing him painfully into the chair. The chest strap was so tight he was really struggling to breathe and he could feel the edges of it cutting into his skin. But the worst was his back and wrists. His hands were secured by what he guessed were handcuffs, and they were cutting cruelly into his wrists and pressing into the small of his back. He tried to shift his weight to relieve some of the pressure, but the straps didn't move an inch. His shoulder was next, and a dull pain radiated from where he took the bullet. No, that wasn't right. There would have been much more pain if it had been a bullet, what then, a dart? His face also hurt, from when he fell. He had a throbbing headache, side effects of the drug they must have used. But nothing seemed irreparably damaged.  
  
Lyle was there, in front of him. Willie was on his right, and someone was on his left. He was unable to determine anything else. It was apparent, that for the moment, there was nothing he could do. Anger boiled inside.  
  
Someone, Lyle he guessed, slapped him lightly on the face. Then he heard Lyle's voice, very close.  
  
"We fully awake now Golden Boy?"  
  
Although Jarod could not actually see Lyle's face, he could picture the smug look on it perfectly. He kicked out with his booted foot, hit something solid and was rewarded with a howl of pain from Lyle. A twisted smile formed, but was quickly replaced with a grimace as he felt hands on his shoulders, pushing him even further into the seat. He groaned as his back and wrists took even more punishment. He then felt Lyle's hands around his throat, blocking his already limited ability to breathe. He started to gasp, trying to shake his head from side to side, but Lyle's grip only tightened. He could feel himself losing consciousness when the weight from his shoulders was gone and then the grip from his throat. A deep voice, Sam he recognized, "Mr Lyle, you can't kill him! Stop it. Mr Lyle!" He heard Lyle's weight drop to the seat in front of him, and then he felt the seats next to him shudder as the sweepers dropped back into their own seats.  
  
He closed his eyes again, sucking in small breaths through the hood. He hated the feel of the material against his face. An onslaught of memories of his abduction as a child assaulted him, and on the edge of consciousness, he succumbed to them and he started to silently cry.  
  
Lyle was too busy with his throbbing shin to notice Jarod's distress. He growled out "Don't worry Monkey Boy, you will pay for that." When he felt that he could walk, he got up and went to the front of the cabin to get a drink.  
  
Miss Parker looked up. There was amusement in her face. She had heard the howl and noticed a very slight limp as Lyle moved toward the bar. "Trouble with the labrat?" she asked with a smile on her face and an arched eyebrow.  
  
"Nothing I can't handle." He said as he tilted his head, and gulped down a drink. He then poured himself another. "I didn't think you were interested anymore."  
  
"I'm not" she shot back, "But if you want my advice."  
  
"I don't. And if I recall correctly, you are out of this now. Jarod belongs to me. Me and Raines."  
  
She shuddered inwardly at that comment, but she did not allow any reaction to show on her face.  
  
"You wont hold him! If I were you, I would be on him like white on rice."  
  
Lyle chuckled softly at that comment. "We'll see about that." He finished his drink.  
  
Parker's head snapped up at that comment. It didn't sound like his usual bravado and posturing. She had an uneasy feeling that he was holding back on something. For months now, she knew he had been plotting with Raines, but she had been unable to establish even the smallest clue as to what. But now she had the distinct feeling, that whatever it was, it was tied into the re-capture of Jarod. Lyle had drifted off into his own thoughts and had not noticed her sharp look.  
  
Parker looked away from Lyle, staring back out the window. She sighed. Jarod. Everything always came back to Jarod. He was the centre of all of their lives. He was their sun, and they were all satellites, chasing endlessly around in circles, enslaved in his gravity well. Her eyes flicked over to Lyle and she saw that look on his face, and it chilled her. All of a sudden, she wanted to take it all back. She wanted to undo what she had done. Her thoughts drifted to the man in the back. She had this desperate urge to run to him and apologize. She wanted him to understand, to understand that she hadn't meant it, that she didn't want this for him. Her mouth twisted in a wry smile. Things couldn't be undone, and now he would be left to the tender mercies of her brother and her father. And it was her fault. "Parker, what are you doing?" she thought to herself. "You know damned well things can't be any other way. It's not your fault, he was caught either way. You didn't condemn him, you saved yourself."  
  
She shook herself. Self-recrimination had never really been her style, that was Jarod's influence, yet again undermining her. And with that thought, she made a decision. She would put a stop to this internal struggle that seemed never-ending. She used to be so certain of everything. She knew who she was and what her place was in the world. Over the last few years she had let too many people try to force her to be who they wanted to be. She was a strong woman, who did not let people stand in the way of what she wanted. Right now she wanted out of The Centre. Her account was settled, it was sitting trussed up in the back of the plane, and she would be done with all of it. No more guilt, no more chasing, no more threats..it was time to get on with her life. With her resolve stiffened, she felt somewhat more sure of herself. The plane started to descend, and Parker was on her way to reclaim her life. 


	4. Chapter 4

a/n: Welcome to the sublevel. You are now entering the world of Mr Cox and Mr Lyle. There will be no escape. This is not for the faint-hearted...so enter at own risk..  
  
Chapter 4  
  
As the plane started its descent, Lyle got up and made his way back to Jarod. He settled into his seat and buckled himself in. "Almost home Jarod." he said in a bright and cheery voice, "I bet your looking forward to seeing your old room again."  
  
He was rewarded as he heard Jarod hiss in a breath. Jarod closed his eyes and tried to relax. He was still having enormous difficulty getting enough oxygen. He didn't answer Lyle's mocking, refusing to give him the satisfaction. But with each passing minute he knew he was getting closer to the one place he did not want to be. And as he felt the plane start to descend, his fear increased even further. He was trying desperately not to imagine what they had in store for him, trying to form some kind of escape plan. But at the moment, he could barely move, but worse yet, he could not see. The hood undermined him completely. He was struggling to get his emotions under control. He was not four years old, and he was not completely powerless this time. He just needed to be patient, and alert. An opportunity would present itself, it always did, and he needed to be prepared to take it.  
  
"Are you paying attention?" Lyle asked as he gave Jarod's face a gentle slap. "Jarod, you need to understand. You should make it easy on yourself. There is nothing you can do to change it, so why don't you just sit back, relax and go with the flow?" He shot a glance at Willie, who was trying to suppress a chuckle.  
  
"You know I will never cooperate with you Lyle, even a dimwit like you should understand that."  
  
"Now, now Jarod. I think perhaps you are being a little hasty in your judgement. But I am sure in time, you will come to understand your error. You are supposed to be a genius after all, and I am confident that you will eventually catch on."  
  
The plane touched down. Miss Parker was out of her seat before it came to a stop. She was the first to exit, not once glancing back to look at Jarod. She was greeted by a phalanx of sweepers on the tarmac, and in the centre was a black limousine. As she walked over to it, Raines got out.  
  
"Have you got him?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, and the DSA's..."  
  
"Excellent..I will see you back at The Centre" he dismissed her.  
  
She looked at him with shock. Damn that bastard. She shot a look at his back, and then made her way to one of the waiting cars. The confrontation would come soon enough.  
  
"Come on Brain Trust, time to go" Lyle nodded to Willie and Sam and they started to remove the leather straps from the Pretender.  
  
As the strap fell from his chest, Jarod gratefully sucked in all the air that he could get. His head began to swim and he fought to stay conscious. He felt hands digging into his biceps as he was roughly hauled to his feet. He cried out in pain, it felt as if his wrists were going to snap in half. Had the sweepers not had such a good grip, he would have fallen.  
  
"Quit your whinin', get him moving!"  
  
He stumbled and was half dragged out of the small aircraft and was roughly manhandled down the small flight of stairs into another pair of waiting sweepers arms.  
  
"Welcome back to The Centre Jarod..this time we hope you plan to stay a little longer." the voice was unmistakable and Jarod shrank back.  
  
"Raines you bastard, you'll never..." he tried to break free from the men that were holding him, but it was no use.  
  
"Get him in the car...and shut his mouth."  
  
With that one of the sweepers backhanded Jarod harshly across his face. He let out a groan and slumped forward. He gave no more resistance as they bundled him into the car, for he had passed out.  
  
Satisfied that Jarod was secured in the car, Raines walked over to Lyle, who was watching the departing car.  
  
"You know, it was too bad, he hardly even put up a fight. After all this time, I was hoping for something...more..dramatic" he finally finished.  
  
"Don't you worry... You will get your turn.. in the next few weeks..we need him to cooperate...you know what is at stake.."  
  
Lyle looked disparagingly at his father. "You know me", he straightened his tie, and leaned closer in to Raines, looking directly into his eyes. "I will get you what you want, count on it." With that he turned his back on the older man and got into a car.  
  
Raines was left standing on the tarmac with a few remaining sweepers. "I'm counting on it alright...you better believe it" he said to the empty air. He got into his own car and headed back to The Centre. Things could not have been better. An unexpected, and earlier than anticipated capture of their most prized missing possession, with a promising prospect of ensuring his cooperation. But the real bonus was that his daughter, whom he had been almost certain had divided loyalties, had been the one to bring him down. And Lyle's outstanding work on the Jarod Project meant, that at least for the moment, he would not be forced to kill any of his offspring. Mr Raines was not a squeamish man, by anybody's standards, but even he did not relish the thought of killing his own daughter. He knew he would do it, if it became necessary, but he had always hoped it would not come to that. Now he had his Pretender back, he would be able to destroy Sydney, and consolidate his power base, keep the Triumvirate at bay. Yes it was a banner day. He was still smiling as the car pulled up in front of The Centre. He made his way to his office. It was time to get all of his ducks in a row.  
  
Miss Parker's Office  
  
Miss Parker stormed into her office and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her chair start to swivel around. She could not see who was in it. "What the hell do you thi....". She stopped when she saw the look on Sydney's face. She took a step back.  
  
He stood up, planted his fists on her desk and she could see he was shaking with anger. In a voice that was deadly soft "Parker, how could you?" It was not a question he expected an answer to. It was more of an accusation.  
  
His eyes never left hers. In that moment, the last few hours of self- doubt, guilt, and all the crazy emotions that had been see-sawing through her, seemed to come together and crystallize into one thought. Survival. At the end of the day, for all of them, it was about self-defence and survival. Anger surged through her and she spat back at him "What? Just doing my job Pavlov! I brought you back your dog. You should be happy."  
  
Sydney almost collapsed back into the chair. He felt like he had been sucker-punched in the gut. He buried his head in his hands. "How, how could you do it? Do you know what they will do to him?" All the anger was gone now, all that was left was empty despair.  
  
She fought the urge to go and comfort him. Instead, she gathered up every defence in her formidable arsenal. Years of practice had made her quite the expert.  
  
"Just what the hell do you think we've been doing here for the last six years Syd? Playing hide-and-seek?" She looked down at him. "My work here is mercifully done. I'm going home. If Raines wants me...I'll be in on Monday."  
  
Sydney did not acknowledge her. She spun on her heel and collided into Broots.  
  
"M-m- Miss.Miss Parker. I'm.I'm..sorry" he finally stumbled out, but by then she was already gone.  
  
"Sydney, ah...they're, they..um..they're bringing Jarod in right now."  
  
Sydney's head snapped up, "Where?" He was on his feet and nearly out the door before Broots could even answer.  
  
"They were on their way to the elevator bays..but I think you're too late." He finished to the closing door.  
  
Sydney was panting by the time he got to the elevators. He was too late. The last of the sweepers were dispersing. Sydney pounded on the elevator button in frustration. He got into the first available car. But there was no button to press. The buttons only went to SL-26, and many of them were restricted access. He was not being rational, he needed to think. He left the elevator and was headed back to get Broots. At that moment, Broots was rounding the corner, finally catching up.  
  
"Broots, we must hurry." Sydney had grabbed Broots' elbow and had started pulling him along.  
  
"Hurry where?"  
  
"SL-27 of course. I cannot get there via the elevator, but the sewer access, Broots we can get in through there."  
  
Broots was appalled. "Sydney, we can't go down there now. Ah.Mr Lyle and Mr Cox are down there.. and... Sam. and...Sydney, please. Not now. Later. But not now."  
  
Broots was right. Sydney knew it. He would be of no help to Jarod if he ended up in the cell next to him, or even worse. He needed to be calm. He recalled his earlier conversation with Raines. He had to get himself involved with Jarod, that was the only way. He would have much more power working from the inside. With that in mind, he abruptly changed direction and headed off to Raines office.  
  
Broots breathed a sigh of relief at Sydney's change in direction. He decided he would head back to his own office. If people needed him, they knew where to find him.  
  
SL-27  
  
Jarod groaned as reality came crashing in on him. Iron grips were on his biceps, he struggled weakly, testing them. All he got for his efforts was a smack up the back side of his head, and the grips tightened. He guessed he was back at The Centre now, and he shivered at the thought of it. It was quiet, and the ground was vibrating. An elevator car perhaps. This was confirmed as he heard the ping and the doors sliding open. The sweepers that were holding him dragged him forward. He tried to struggle again, but it was no use, and it sent shooting pains through his wrists. They dragged him forward for what seemed like a very long time. There were many turns and Jarod was trying to construct a mental image of the route they had taken. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they came to a halt. Jarod heard electronic sounds, and then the unmistakable sound of a lock disengaging. They pushed him forward. "Get in!" Sam's voice ordered. Sam then pushed him against the wall and unlocked the handcuffs. Before Jarod could turn around, he heard the door clang shut and the lock engage.  
  
His shoulders screamed in protest as his arms dropped down. They hung uselessly at his sides. He had no feeling below either wrist and neither arm obeyed when he tried to lift them. He was desperate to get the hood off. In fear of tripping, he slid gently down the wall and sat on the floor. There was no sound, so he guessed he was alone. But he feared that it would not be for long. He started rotating his shoulders very gently, he needed to get the circulation going again. He had to get the use of his hands back, he had to get the damned hood off. He did not want to be completely helpless when they came.  
  
For the moment, there was nothing else to be done. He continued the gentle exercise of his shoulders, grimacing at the effort. He was back at The Centre. He could hardly believe it. He didn't know how they had found him. And they had really meant business this time. In all the years he had been running, he had never seen so many sweepers. Even after he had kidnapped Mr Parker and made off with one of their most prized possessions, the Boy Gemini, they hadn't sent a force like this after him. He had underestimated Raines severely. A little more feeling was coming into his arms now. But the worst of it was Miss Parker. He had underestimated her the most. Even now, sitting in what he guessed was some sublevel cell, he found it hard to accept that she had shot him. It was like a splinter in his heart. He pushed the thought away. He needed to focus. There were icicles of fear in his belly and he knew that every second he spent in this place brought him closer to damnation. As he worked his abused muscles, his mind was going over everything he could recall from The Centre. The positions of air vents, these were primary in his mind. He had used them to get out before, and even in to get in. As he immersed himself in possible avenues of escape, he found that he had lost the edge of panic. He knew it would be harder this time. Raines was even more ruthless than Mr Parker, and after losing him twice in as many years, Jarod had no illusions that they would be better prepared now. His only hope was that they weren't too prepared.  
  
He had enough control to lift his arms now, but his fingers were still useless. He tried to rip the hood, but couldn't get a grip. Pins and needles were shooting up and down both arms now, but Jarod new this was a good sign, albeit painful. The circulation was returning. He was straining to hear any noises, and clues that he might not be alone after all, and of course, to warn him that they were coming. He guessed there was a camera, and he could imagine Raines and Lyle in their office watching him, congratulating themselves. Anger came bubbling to the surface as he wondered if Miss Parker was there, sharing in the celebration. He had a strong desire to get up and pace. He wanted to hit something. Instead, he closed his eyes, and focused on regulating his breathing and getting his arms working again. His chest still burnt from where the leather strap had been, but he was breathing normally now.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, feeling was creeping back to his fingers. He fumbled at the small knot in the cord at his throat, and finally managed to loosen it. He ripped the hood off with an enormous sigh of relief. He threw it in the corner. He looked around the room. His fear of tripping had been groundless. It was small and completely bare. There were 4 cameras mounted high, one in each corner, this meant that there would be no blind spot. A very small drain in the centre of the floor, and of course the air vent high up in one of the walls. But that was it. It was an empty grey room, and it was cold. The door was solid, had no handle and appeared to be made out of steel.  
  
He looked down at his wrists and saw deep indents and cuts where the cuffs had been. He gently probed his other injuries, but it didn't seem like anything was permanently damaged.  
  
There was nothing to do now but wait. He knew they were watching him, so he did not dare test the air vent. His mind turned to Miss Parker. His emotions had run the gambit from disbelief, to anger, to disappointment. He was also furious at himself for misjudging her so badly. He had allowed his feelings for her to colour his judgement. She was not the little girl that he remembered and loved, she was the woman whose sole purpose was to hunt him down. It was her mission to destroy his life and he had foolishly allowed sentimentality to obscure that one central fact. Despite what he thought they had become to each other over the past few years, despite the changes that he had thought he had seen in her, the one constant truth echoed clearly through his mind in her voice "You run, I chase."  
  
"Damn you Parker! How could you?" he screamed at the cameras in a sudden outburst of frustration and rage.  
  
Mr Raines Office  
  
Sydney stormed in and demanded without any preamble "I want to see him now!"  
  
Raines looked up, annoyed at the interruption and the presumption. Would the man never get it through his head that Jarod was his project now, not Sydney's? "You will get to see him when I say you can...and not before.." There was anger in his eyes, but Sydney did not back away.  
  
He took a breath to steady himself. "When?"  
  
"We have already had this conversation..." But he didn't get to finish before Sydney interrupted.  
  
"I know you have him down on SL-27."  
  
There was a flicker of surprise in Raines' eyes, "And how did you come to that ..conclusion?"  
  
"Did you really believe that you could bring back Jarod and successfully keep his location secret?'  
  
Raines was really angry now. "Jarod's present location... and condition is not of any concern to you.yet...and if you don't want that to be ..permanent..." he did not finish the threat.  
  
Sydney knew that he was treading on dangerous ground, and he feared that Raines might cut him off from Jarod completely. He turned and left without saying a word. He feared what they would do to Jarod, were probably doing right now, without him there to protect him. He was desperate to see him, but for the moment, he could not risk pushing any further.  
  
Raines would have liked to have had Sydney removed a long time ago, but he also knew that Sydney was the emotional tether that they would need to control the Pretender. Major Charles or Gemini would have been better, but Sydney was the best they could do for the moment. Sydney would prove useful, despite himself. Raines smiled at the thought of it. It would destroy Sydney to see his precious Jarod under Centre control again, and to know that he was the instrument that made it possible.  
  
Miss Parker's House  
  
Parker had arrived home after what seemed like an inordinately long drive. Her emotions were swinging wildly out of control. She poured herself a drink, grabbed both the glass and the bottle and planted herself on the couch. She did not want to think about anything. She shrugged herself out of her clothes and got up to put on one of Tommy's shirts. She hugged herself tightly.  
  
She sat staring into the fireplace for a long time. The bottle was almost finished, but she could not remember drinking it. She closed her eyes and thought back on happier times she had shared with Thomas. She finished another drink. If she could just get drunk enough, she could retreat into her memories and rest there for a little while.  
  
She remembered his smile and his kindness, the way he looked at her. How safe he made her feel, safe and loved, important. Tears came to her eyes. It would kill him to know what she had done to his friend. Hah, that was funny. He was already dead after all. Jarod. It always came back to Jarod. Was there nothing in her life he had not touched? Not pulled apart and destroyed? She hated him. She finished her drink and poured herself another. She hadn't been this drunk since..since..Thomas'...and even then Jarod had been there. Even in her memories Jarod followed. There was no escape. Damn him. She tried to conjure up an image of Tommy, but what she got was Jarod's shocked face at the elevator. Well he was caught now. Perhaps his hold on her would be broken. What happened to him now had nothing to do with her, she was almost drunk enough to believe that.  
  
"What do you want from me Jarod?" she asked her empty glass. She refilled it with a shaky hand.  
  
"Its not my fault! You're the damn genius, you shoulda known we were coming." She gulped down the last of the drink and whispered "You knew it was always going end like this...it had to end like this, I'm sorry you didn't get the different ending you were looking for..but what did you expect?" and with that, she fell asleep, glass still in hand.  
  
SL-27 Surveillance Room  
  
Mr Cox and Mr Lyle were watching the Pretender on the video monitors. They had both laughed at his outburst at Miss Parker. But they had given him enough time to calm down. Lyle wanted to allow the fear to build, it would make Jarod more vulnerable, and it was much more fun. He looked over to Cox. "Ready?"  
  
Cox smoothed his suit as he got up, "Absolutely Mr Lyle." He left the room and proceeded down the hall. Both Willie and Sam were waiting for him outside Jarod's cell. Mr Cox entered his code into the keypad and the lock disengaged. He waited until Willie yanked the heavy door open and he made his way in.  
  
Lyle leaned back in his chair, placed his feet on the desk and relaxed, ready to enjoy the show. His only regret was that he couldn't be more hands on with the retraining, but his presence would undermine his long term goals. He watched as Jarod looked up when he heard the lock disengaging. Jarod did not bother to stand, but remained sitting on the floor. He noticed the surprised look that surfaced on Jarod's face, to be quickly replaced with a neutral one.  
  
"Bet you were expecting me, weren't you buddy boy?" Lyle laughed to himself. He continued as if the Pretender could hear him. "I think you are going to find a great many things quite different from what you expect."  
  
Jarod looked up when he heard the lock. He braced himself. But was surprised when he saw Cox. He had been expecting Lyle or Raines.  
  
"I don't believe we have been formally introduced. You may call me Mr Cox. I must say it is an honour to finally meet you Jarod. You are somewhat of a celebrity around here."  
  
Jarod looked up at the man. No they had never met, but he knew all about Cox. Anger rose quickly as he remembered Cox's role in the abduction of Zoe.  
  
"What do you want?" he growled out.  
  
Cox smiled down at him. There was no warmth in that smile.  
  
"Now there is no need to be uncivil. You know what we want. Your cooperation, that's all. It is not that much to ask. In the end we will have it."  
  
Jarod gave out a short laugh. "You know that I will never cooperate with you. You can go to hell. And tell your boss Lyle that I will die before I help him or The Centre ever again."  
  
"Well, I certainly hope it doesn't come to that."  
  
Cox looked up at the cameras and nodded towards the door. Sam entered the small cell and was followed by Willie. Cox moved back out of their way as they advanced on Jarod. He gave a brief struggle, but they had him quickly on his feet and pinned face to the wall. Sam fastened Jarod's hands behind his back with a pair of handcuffs and they roughly hauled him out of the cell.  
  
Jarod knew the struggle was futile, but he didn't want to make it any easier on them. As they dragged him up the hall, Jarod noticed how well lit the hallways were. There were cameras everywhere. He realised that whoever had set this up knew what they were doing, that escape would be even more difficult than he had first imagined. Cox had noticed Jarod checking out the security.  
  
"Yes, I think you will find the security rather impressive. Even for a man of your ahh, talents, it may prove beyond your abilities. But, feel free to try."  
  
Jarod suppressed a smile, overconfidence was one of their greatest weaknesses. It always had been. Even on his pretends, more often than not, it was overconfidence that undid people.  
  
They entered a room, and the first thing that Jarod noticed was a surgical table, one with restraints. Cox nodded to the two sweepers and they started to move Jarod over to the table. Jarod began to fight in earnest now. Willie pushed him down so he was bent over the table, the air whooshed out of his lungs as Sam undid one of the handcuffs. Jarod used his freed hand and grabbed Sam in the crotch. Sam let out a mighty bellow and crumpled to his knees. Willie got a blow to Jarod's back before Jarod spun around and hooked him across the jaw. Cox danced back out of harms way. Sam was still on the floor and Willie was just starting to recover from Jarod's blow. But before Jarod could advance on Cox, another three sweepers were already in the room. They crash-tackled Jarod and all four of them ended up in a tangle on the floor. The sweepers now had Jarod pinned down on the floor.  
  
"Get him up on the table" Cox ordered.  
  
Jarod was thrashing madly as they secured him to the table. But he was defeated now and he knew it. He gave up his struggling and watched as Cox advanced on him.  
  
"Well, I have to give you a few points for trying. But as I said before, you will cooperate. I just hope we don't have to go through this type of drama every time. If I want you on the table, the table is where you will be. Resistance is futile and will only cause you more pain. It would be much easier on everyone, and you especially, if you just did as you were told."  
  
"Yes, you would like that, wouldn't you?"  
  
Cox sighed and left the room. Sam was up off the floor now. He walked painfully over to Jarod. He grabbed a handful of Jarod's hair and lifted his head off the table. He leaned down until their noses were almost touching. Jarod grimaced in pain.  
  
"You ever touch me again, and you will be begging them to kill you!" Sam then slammed Jarod's head back onto the table. Sam stepped back as Cox and Raines entered the room.  
  
Cox walked over to the table and looked down at Jarod.  
  
"Time to begin Jarod. Sam, would you please hold his head, make sure he can't move. I wouldn't want him to hurt himself."  
  
"Begin what?" Jarod winced as Sam grabbed his head in a vice-like grip. It was then that he noticed the syringe that Cox was holding. Fear pounded into him and he thrashed against Sam and the restraints. He watched helplessly as Cox emptied the contents into his arm.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
Raines answered. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with Jarod..just relax.."  
  
Jarod could feel his sense of reality tilting. He could no longer feel his body, and this was good because there was no more pain or fear. He had a vague sense of people in the room with him, but he couldn't focus on them. They were asking him questions, but he couldn't understand the words. He was drifting now..and he lost all sense of himself, it was not all that unpleasant.  
  
Lyle had joined them. They were all looking down at Jarod's inert form. For a while he seemed peaceful, but then he began to struggle wildly, fighting the hell of dreams unleashed beyond control. Demons they could only guess at.  
  
"Its not working" Lyle said with disgust.  
  
"We always knew it was a long-shot." Cox replied.  
  
"You said that he would be coherent... that he would be easier to manipulate..look at him..he is off his head..." Raines wheezed.  
  
"I said we could not be certain how he would react. It was a slim chance. But you may yet get your chance yet, the side effects are going to be horrendous. We may be able to use that as an incentive."  
  
They had been trying to develop a drug to control their Pretender. Raines knew that coercion would be difficult. If they could manufacture a narcotic that would remove Jarod's conscience, make him malleable to their wishes, but not interfere with his Pretender abilities. But that was the rub. Despite intensive research, they had not been able to come up with anything satisfactory. There were plenty of drugs that could make a person open to suggestion, eager even, to please. There was also the possibility of addiction. Addicts would do anything to get their score. It would be a simple matter to turn Jarod into a junkie, eager to do anything they wanted for his next fix. The problem always came back to the same thing. He was of no use as a Pretender when he was stoned or strung out. He had no focus, couldn't concentrate, was lucky if he knew how to spell his own name.  
  
"It was worth a try. Looks like its over to my plan." Lyle had known already that the drugs wouldn't work. Despite years of research, a mind- control drug that did not impair intellect was still a long way off. But drugs could have other uses. And he intended to make full use of all of them.  
  
Jarod started moaning again and struggling under the restraints. Cox looked down at him with amusement. "He will be running from his nightmares for hours yet. Willie, call us when he comes out of it." All three of them left the room.  
  
"I think I will invite Sydney... down to watch a ..session...soon. Its time we got the ball rolling.." Raines looked at Lyle and Cox, almost challenging them to disagree. Lyle seemed to want to say something, but obviously thought the better of it.  
  
The three of them headed to the elevators.  
  
Sydney's Office  
  
Broots knocked timidly to announce his arrival and stepped into Sydney's office. The older man looked up at Broots. Broots thought that Sydney had aged 10 years in the last 10 hours.  
  
"Sydney.." He began. His concern was written all over his face.  
  
"Tell me what you have found out. What is the news on Jarod."  
  
Broots shuffled uncomfortably. "Well, not much. I can't get into their system. It's completely isolated. The sewer access has been blocked..and the only way I can see to get down there is through the elevator. But the security on that is really tight."  
  
He paused as Sydney looked up. He anticipated the question.  
  
"I'm working on it. It will take some time, but I should be able to crack it."  
  
"How long?"  
  
"Syd, I don't know. This system is unlike anything I've encountered. It looks like something that..  
  
"Jarod might have developed." Sydney finished for him.  
  
"What about Miss Parker? Is it true, was she the one.the one who.?"  
  
Sydney sighed heavily. "Yes Broots, I'm afraid it is. I haven't got all the details yet. But from what I understand, she shot him."  
  
Broots gasped. "No Syd. She wouldn't do that, would she? Is he alright? Oh my God, she didn't kill him? She couldn't have."  
  
"Apparently it was some sort of sedative, a dart gun. But it was Parker's shot that brought him down."  
  
"So she's down there now? With Lyle and Cox?" Broots shuddered at the thought.  
  
"No, she went home. Said she wouldn't be back in until Monday." He paused and looked up at Broots. "I really need to find out what's going on down there. Please Broots, I need this."  
  
Broots looked at Sydney, emotion welling in his throat. "I'll do everything I can. But Sydney, we really need to be careful."  
  
He turned and was about to leave.  
  
"Sydney .." he started.  
  
Sydney looked at him, waiting.  
  
"Go home. You need to get some rest. There's nothing more you can do tonight. I will let you know the minute I know anything."  
  
Sydney knew that he was right. "Good night Broots."  
  
"Good night Sydney."  
  
Broots left. It was time he was getting home. Nothing more could be achieved tonight and he hadn't seen his daughter in nearly two days. Thinking about Jarod somewhere in the bowels of The Centre, made his need to see Debbie almost physical. He gathered up his things and made his way home.  
  
Sydney knew that Broots was right. He was exhausted. He felt very old. Old and weary. There would be little sleep for him tonight. He was desperate to see Jarod. To know that he was alright. Sydney was very afraid of what Lyle would do to Jarod. He started to organise himself to leave for home. For the moment, he could only hope that Raines would keep his word. Sydney had to be involved in this project, he cringed at the word, at any cost. He wondered about when the precise moment was that he had stopped thinking about Jarod as a project, and started thinking about him as a... He didn't know how to finish the thought. He shook his head sadly, turned off the light, and headed home.  
  
Raines' Office  
  
Raines made his way to his desk and sat down. Cox and Lyle followed, lounging comfortably opposite Raines.  
  
"Gentlemen..we are off to a very good start.." He looked over at Cox. "..but the drug therapy...has been a disappointment."  
  
"Yes, well, we did not really anticipate any great success in that area. But I believe it is still our most efficient way of, shall we say, preparing Jarod. He is very strong, not to mention very stubborn, and brute force alone has not worked in the past." He looked over at Lyle. "I don't expect that the drugs will break him, but they will make him far more susceptible to what Lyle has in store for him. And it could be very interesting what we learn along the way."  
  
Lyle waited for Cox to finish. "We all know what a stubborn bastard he can be. I think a subtle approach will be far more successful, not to mention rewarding. Also, it will keep Sydney off of our backs, and in our sphere of control. That only leaves Parker."  
  
"Don't you worry about that..I am going to deal with her...she wants out..."  
  
"Surely you're not going.." Lyle interrupted.  
  
"I didn't say that.did I?" Raines snapped back. He would deal with Parker. There was no way she was leaving now. Now that they had Jarod back, her work was just beginning.  
  
After a number of hours discussing the details of getting Project Jarod off the ground, and turning over the various problems they expected to encounter, the meeting broke up. Lyle and Cox returned to SL-27. 


	5. Chapter 5

I just want to thank everyone for all of their support, it has been wonderful. Onisius.....where would I be without you? I am glad you are taking this journey with me, but I am afraid you may not like where it is going. I no longer seem to have any choice in the matter....it has taken on a sinister life of its own.......  
  
Chapter 5  
  
SL-27  
  
Jarod awoke to the feeling of the warm sunshine streaming in through the windows. He reached over only to find the bed empty next to him. He was about to rise when she walked in through the door, carrying a brightly wrapped parcel in her hands. He could not help but to admire how beautiful she looked. Her hair was still tousled and her silk nightgown hung open provocatively. Even after all this time, he never tired of looking at her.  
  
"Happy birthday sleepyhead". She graced him with a glorious smile and leaned over to kiss him. He grabbed her and she fell onto the bed with a laugh.  
  
"I love you Parker" He said simply.  
  
"I know" She replied. "Open the gift."  
  
Emotions welled up in him and he was struggling to keep his composure. He looked at the present. Tears brimmed over and splashed on the package.  
  
Parker was alarmed at his response. "What's wrong?"  
  
He was crying softly now.  
  
"It's just that I,.... I've never received a birthday present before. For so long I......I never even knew when my birthday was."  
  
She embraced him tenderly.  
  
"What are you talking about?" She was clearly confused.  
  
He began to open the gift, but his fingers were trembling.  
  
"Here, let me" She smiled at him gently and took the parcel. She unwrapped it and raised it so that he could see.  
  
His eyes slid from her eyes down to her hands, lingering slightly on the swell of her breasts. He gasped as he saw what she was holding. His mind could scarcely comprehend it. He backed up against the bedhead whispering "No."  
  
"Happy birthday ratboy!" She smiled calmly and then shot him point blank in the chest.  
  
Jarod awoke with a startled cry. He was breathing heavily and sobbing. He tried to lift his head. But he found the effort was too much for him. He cracked open his eyes. He seemed to be lying in some kind of shower block. Everything was blindly white. As he tried to move, he realised that his entire body ached and nausea hit him that was so severe he nearly passed out. He let out a groan and then started to heave violently. The last food that he had consumed was the three doughnuts sometime earlier that day. If it was indeed still the same day. The retching was so violent that he would not have been surprised if he had seen his feet spew forth. But there was nothing to come up and finally he collapsed back to the floor in complete exhaustion.  
  
He did not know how long that he lay there for. He was shivering violently and his stomach was still convulsing weakly. He thought perhaps he was dying. He huddled himself into a tight ball and sobbed miserably. He did not notice the figure approach.  
  
"Jarod" The voice was gentle. A hand reached out to stroke the damp hair off his forehead. The Pretender had not even opened his eyes, had barely recognized the voice. But the feel of that gloved hand snapped him back to reality with a terrifying start. He scrambled backwards.  
  
"No" He croaked out.  
  
"Shh, Jarod. I am not going to hurt you." Lyle was on the floor now, leaning over him. He was solicitous. He took a damp, and mercifully cool cloth and gently wiped it across Jarod's face.  
  
"Jarod, you have been ill, I am here to help. No harm will come to you while I am here. I promise." Jarod kept inching backwards, but now he was backed up against a wall. He looked up at Lyle with hatred in his eyes, remembering what Lyle had done to him the last time he was here. He tried to speak, but only a hoarse croak came out.  
  
"Here, drink this." Lyle offered a plastic cup of clear liquid to Jarod.  
  
The Pretender made no effort to take it and continued to glare at Lyle. Lyle sighed and took a long drink from the cup.  
  
"It's safe. See. I told you. I am not going to hurt you." He sighed. "I don't blame you for not trusting me." A wry smile twisted his lips. "Drink it, it will make you feel better." He placed the cup in front of Jarod and retreated to the other side of the room.  
  
Jarod was still glaring at Lyle. Hostility and suspicion radiated from him. But as Lyle watched, the suspicion changed to confusion. After about ten minutes in silence, Jarod tentatively reached out for the cup and sniffed it. He looked at Lyle once more, who gave a small nod of encouragement, and finally drank it's contents. He put the cup down with a grateful sigh and managed "More?"  
  
Lyle moved over to refill the cup. He was careful to keep the glee he was feeling out of his face. He planted himself on the floor in front of Jarod and refilled the cup.  
  
"Take it slowly, give your body time to adjust." Lyle watched Jarod finish the drink and was not surprised when he started convulsing. He stood up and reached for Jarod, who cringed back.  
  
"Let me help you."  
  
Jarod no longer cared about Lyle. His stomach was ejecting the water he had just consumed. Lyle half dragged him over to a toilet bowl and then proceeded to massage his shoulders after Jarod had finished throwing up. Jarod rested his head against the bowl. He was entirely spent and too exhausted to wonder about Lyle's motives. The gentle massaging was bliss and he allowed himself to relax. He soon drifted into an exhausted sleep.  
  
When Lyle was sure that Jarod was asleep, he got up and left the room and signalled sweepers to get Jarod cleaned up and taken back to his cell. As he made his way back to the surveillance room, he could not help but smile to himself. This was going to work. And it was going to be so much more satisfying than playing with jumper cables.  
  
He entered the small room to see a broad smile on Cox's face as well.  
  
"Did you see that?"  
  
Cox answered with his own grin. "It was a thing of beauty."  
  
Project Jarod was underway. They would get their Pretender back to work and Lyle's star would ascend.  
  
Later, Jarod's cell SL-27  
  
Jarod awoke slowly. He tried to resist the tug back to awareness, but he was terribly uncomfortable. He opened his eyes and noticed he was back in the small bare cell they had originally left him in. His clothes were gone, replaced with the standard Centre issue grey pyjama-like ensemble. His feet were bare. He shifted himself into a sitting position, propping his back against the wall. He felt much better, but was exhausted. The nausea was gone and most of the pain was bearable. He looked at his wrists. This was where the worst of the damage had been inflicted. They were a mangled mess. There were deep indents and ragged cuts, now with dark bruises starting to show. He reached up to his face and felt the scratchy stubble. He wondered what time it was, what day it was. How long had he been here.  
  
But most disturbing of all, were the dreams. He' d had so many of them. Many of them about what they had been doing to him here. But he couldn't separate the dreams from the reality. He decided that the fact that he had remained, more or less, unmolested, meant that a lot of what he thought he had experienced was probably just a dream as well. He realised abruptly that he was very hungry. His thoughts fled back to the doughnuts that he had last ate. They weren't Miami doughnuts, but they were good. His stomach grumbled at the thought of them. He sighed. He doubted very much if he would be getting any doughnuts, or anything remotely palatable, any time soon.  
  
As if on cue, he heard the lock disengage. Sam came in carrying a tray and a bucket. He was followed by Cox.  
  
"Good morning Jarod. How are we doing today?" Cox was almost cheery.  
  
Sam placed the bucket in the far corner of the room and placed the tray on the ground in front of the sitting Pretender. "Bon appetite." Sam chortled as he saw the look on Jarod's face as he looked at the green slop in the bowl.  
  
Jarod looked from the bowl to Cox's face. "We are doing fine" He mumbled under his breath.  
  
"Well, I am very pleased to hear that. Finish your breakfast, we have lots to do today." He looked down at the bowl and smiled. They left the cell, with Jarod staring at the heavy door as it banged shut. He was tempted to pick up the bowl of mess and throw it.  
  
Instead, he picked it up, along with a plastic spoon they had so thoughtfully provided and proceeded to eat his breakfast. He closed his eyes at the first swallow. The familiar texture, smell and taste made him want to gag. This was the only food he had known for most of his life. And now he found it repugnant. He forced himself to swallow, knowing that this would probably be the only type of food he would get while he remained in The Centre. He was already craving for the sweet tastes of his beloved Pez. He finished the gloppy mess and washed it down with the bottle of water that was also on the tray.  
  
After the unsatisfying meal was finished, he went through a gentle exercise routine of stretches. He was still very sore and weak, but he figured a light workout would help with his abused muscles. After he finished his routine, he relieved himself in the bucket. This was distasteful, but they had left him with no other choice.  
  
He turned his attention back to the cell, for a more careful inspection. But there was nothing to look at. They hadn't even given him a blanket or a mattress. There was the air vent, but he knew that if he made a move towards that, they would be in here in no time at all. It looked big enough to accommodate his size, if somehow the cameras could be looped or disabled, or if he could learn the shifts of those he assumed were assigned to watch him. Perhaps he could find a window of opportunity.  
  
His mind then turned to Sydney. He wondered if Sydney knew that he had been captured. Why hadn't he come to see him? Would they let him come? His mind then made the next logical step. Miss Parker. He wondered if she was watching him. Had she popped open a bottle of champagne to celebrate her victory? He felt his chest tighten at the thought of her, and the dream came rushing back. She had shot him. His brain was reluctant to process this factoid. Even sitting in the cold harsh reality of the cell, he was still in denial.  
  
The door clanged open again, Willie and Sam entered. A pair of handcuffs were dangling from Sam's outstretched hand. "We can do it the easy way....or ....you decide."  
  
Jarod got up and backed into the corner. He looked from Willie to Sam. He knew it was futile, but it didn't stop him.  
  
"Alright then, the hard way", Sam did not look the least bit disappointed.  
  
The ensuing struggle was brief and ended with Jarod face down on the floor with Willie's foot on the back of his neck and Sam's knee in his back as he snapped the cuffs onto Jarod's already raw wrists. Jarod moaned in pain and Sam ground his knee further into the Pretender's back. They yanked him to his feet and another cry escaped him.  
  
They dragged him down the hall and Jarod was not surprised to see that he was back in the same room with the surgical table. Cox was standing by it, waiting patiently. Lyle was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Now tell me Jarod, how are we going to do this today?"  
  
Jarod sighed in resignation and relaxed in the arms of his captors. As he felt their grips relax, he wrenched himself free, unmindful of the shooting pain in his wrists, and launched himself at Cox. His shoulder slammed full force into Cox's chest, knocking the slim man off his feet. He went down with Jarod on top of him.  
  
"Get him off! Get him off of me!" Cox was bellowing.  
  
Jarod was lifted off the screaming man by his hair. He screamed in agony and tried to shake the grip loose. But then Sam was there and punched him in the stomach. Willie let go of his hair and Jarod crumpled helplessly to the floor, struggling to catch his breath.  
  
Cox was on his feet now and had recovered his composure. He looked at the two sweepers and whispered menacingly. "You ever allow him to touch me again, you will trade places with him. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes sir" Came back in unison.  
  
They lifted Jarod to the table and dropped him heavily on it. He moaned as they unlocked the cuffs and then secured him to the table, more tightly than was necessary. He didn't bother to struggle.  
  
"I thought we cleared this up yesterday. Mr Lyle assures me that you are a smart man. But I must say, I am beginning to wonder" he turned to retrieve a syringe.  
  
"Sam", He nodded towards Jarod's head.  
  
"What do you want?" He ground out through clenched teeth as Sam's grip tightened.  
  
"For the moment. Obedience." He then emptied the contents of the syringe into Jarod's arm.  
  
The drug took effect almost immediately, and Jarod was running from demons only he could see. Lyle entered the room and looked down at Jarod, thrashing against the restraints.  
  
"How many more sessions do you think?" Lyle was watching Jarod in a kind of sick fascination.  
  
"I believe four days to a week, four times a day, should be enough. I was not expecting him to resist so forcefully today, so I may have to revise my estimates. We shall see. But I am expecting a cumulative effect."  
  
"I want Sydney down here for the next session. We need to prime him. He needs to understand his place, and I think that a graphic demonstration will be the most effective." Lyle could not tear his eyes from the moaning struggling man. He shivered. "Wouldn't wanna be in his shoes."  
  
Cox looked up from the notes he had been taking. He smiled and shot a meaningful glance at the two sweepers. "Indeed not."  
  
Jarod awoke again on the cold tiles in the shower block. He was again violently ill. But this time it was far worse. Lyle was there. Gently stroking his hair, rubbing the back of his neck, whispering meaningless words of comfort. Jarod gratefully accepted the water Lyle offered. He was so sick and so pathetically grateful, that for the moment, he forgot that he hated him. The water was good, somewhere deep in his brain he knew that it wasn't just water, there was something in it. Something that countered the effects of what Cox was doing to him. But he didn't care. It offered relief, and that was all that mattered. He finally fell asleep with his head in Lyle's lap.  
  
He awoke again in his cell and was soon dragged back to the room. This pattern continued throughout the day and night. Jarod had no idea how many times he had been on the table now. It didn't matter, it was all just one big blur. There were vague memories of struggles with sweepers, curses hurled at Cox. And the nightmares. The nightmares were horrendous. They were chasing him while he was awake now. He was no longer able to differentiate reality from the drug induced state.  
  
The only respite was in the showers. Lyle was always there. Always gentle and soothing. Lyle was the only one who didn't offer him pain. This thought struck Jarod as rather incongruous. He knew that it had not always been so, but he could not remember why he feared Lyle. And in his present condition, he decided it was not worth the effort to pursue.  
  
As the weekend passed, with each session, Jarod's attempts at resistance faded away. He no longer seemed capable of any kind of independent thinking. When they entered his cell, he stood calmly as he allowed them to cuff him. He shambled along and then allowed them to restrain him on the table without any complaint. The severity of his nightmares under the influence of the drug seemed to be increasing, judging by the way he thrashed about and cried out. And he was pathetically grateful to see Lyle. At one stage he crawled over and grabbed Lyle's legs and started sobbing. Lyle smiled and stroked his hair as if he were a beloved puppy.  
  
Jarod was back in his cell and Lyle and Cox were watching him on the monitors.  
  
"I think it's time that Sydney got a look at our handiwork" Cox said to Lyle. He was very clearly pleased with himself.  
  
"Yes. I will call him in for the next session. Raines will be there too." Lyle was distracted. Cox turned to look at him.  
  
"What's wrong? Are you not happy with the results?" Cox was clearly perplexed by Lyle's displeasure. Lyle cricked his neck back and forth. He was massaging the stump of his missing thumb.  
  
"I just didn't expect him to ...fold so quickly. I mean, it hasn't been three days....and look at him." He said with disgust.  
  
Cox nodded his head in understanding.  
  
"Oh, don't worry. That's not really Jarod. It's the drugs. This is why we can't keep him drugged if we want him to do the simulations. He has had the drug in his system for over 48 hours now. I bet he feels as if he has been here for years." Cox snickered at that thought. "Once the drugs are completely removed from his system, he will return more or less to his former self. He should be somewhat more malleable, but I am expecting him to fight us with everything he's got."  
  
"How much will he remember of what happened here?" Lyle was curious.  
  
"Not specifics. But we are conditioning him to fear me, and to turn to you for comfort. Poison-induced learning is one of the most powerful and effective forms of learning there is. This will cause a ripple in his drug- free psyche. Everything he knows demands that he is afraid of you, and that he hates you. But the seed has been planted. The one whispering to him, telling him that you are his protector, his friend. This, with the correct reinforcements, will eventually rip him apart. That is when we move in and restructure his world." Cox's last statement was only a whisper.  
  
"Surely just a few days of pain, sickness and misery..."  
  
"Oh, this is just the beginning. We are just peeling back the first layer. We slowly dismantle his entire world, strip him of every emotional support he has ever known. He has borne much in his life, and his defences are formidable, and it is for that reason that when they finally come down, it will be spectacular."  
  
Both men were watching the monitors. Lyle whispered "Soon Jarod, soon."  
  
Miss Parker's House  
  
Miss Parker had woken late in afternoon. She had a very bad hangover and her body was stiff from lying in an uncomfortable position on the couch. A train was running through her head. She made her way gingerly to the kitchen and made herself a coffee. After a second cup and some aspirin, she felt a tiny bit more prepared to deal with the day.  
  
A shower was next on the agenda. She was almost on the way back to half human when the phone rang. And for a brief moment, she was sure it was Jarod. Just like him to ring while she was in the shower. As she was turning the water off, the absurdity of the thought struck her. She wrapped herself in a towel and listened as the machine picked it up. It was Sydney. No surprise there.  
  
"Parker....if you are there....Parker, please pick up. I need to talk to you....."  
  
"I just bet you do Freud" She replied to the machine.  
  
But she was in no mood, or condition to be playing with the headshrinker today. She wandered back to the kitchen. Her stomach was demanding all her attention now. She hadn't eaten anything in more than 24 hours. She busied herself with the preparation of the meal. Not allowing her thoughts to drift where she did not want them going. She sighed, this was going to be a very long weekend. She ate her meal and cleaned up the mess. She threw the empty scotch bottle in the bin.  
  
It was late afternoon and there was a chill in the air. She stoked up the fireplace and then sat back to stare at the flames. She did not want to think about anything, the headache was still there and she just wanted a peaceful evening. She could not remember the last time she knew that there would be no call that would send her scuttling halfway across the country on some wild goose chase. This was really her first day off in six years and she was determined to enjoy the serenity. She would deal with all the rest later. But didn't she deserve at least one day to herself?  
  
The phone rang again, intruding on her thoughts.  
  
"Parker.....we need to talk......pick up dammit......." She looked at the phone but made no move to answer it. Raines could wait until Monday.  
  
"....alright then......Monday. Good job you did yesterday." He tried to sound appeasing, but Parker had a sinking feeling. She sighed heavily. Would there never be any peace?  
  
Her eyes sought out the flames and she allowed her thoughts drift about under their hypnotic lull. Random images from her past floated through her mind. Images of happier times and she allowed herself to be carried away by them. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/n thanks again to Onisius.....  
  
Sunday Night Sydney's House  
  
This had been by far one of the longest weekends Sydney had ever experienced in his adult life. He was torn. He was desperate to see Jarod, but he knew forcing the issue would only make matters worse. He had barely slept, his wild nightmares of what was being done to Jarod had kept him awake. He was almost sick with fear. He knew that Jarod would resist, and that would only make things harder on him. The only comfort he had was that Raines had promised that he would see Jarod soon. Sydney hoped that that meant they wouldn't dare inflict too much damage on Jarod.  
  
Sydney knew that Jarod would never cooperate with them. In his years of freedom, he had learnt to hate The Centre. He would rather die than allow his work to be used to hurt more people. Sydney recalled that phone call, not long after Jarod had first escaped. Jarod had listed the sims that had been used to hurt and kill people. Sydney could still remember the anger in his voice, and the pain underneath it. He feared the lengths that they would go to, to ensure Jarod's cooperation. And he also knew that Jarod would not give them that cooperation. He was afraid of what it would cost Jarod to refuse.  
  
All of Jarod's life, Sydney had at best, stood by and done nothing. How many times had he turned a blind eye in the name of research? How many times had he stood back, doing nothing to prevent what he knew to be wrong? All the old excuses now seemed hollow. How many times had he done nothing to prevent some new outrage to be inflicted on Jarod, believing that he was protecting him from worse? He had somehow managed to justify everything he had done, or not done, cloaking it in the miserable excuse of...."well he could have been worse off".  
  
But not this time. Somehow he was going to make a difference this time, even if it meant giving up his own life. Jarod deserved some kind of real life. And Sydney was going to do everything in his power to ensure that. He did not know yet what he planned to do, but he would not allow Raines to destroy Jarod. Of this much, if nothing else, he was certain.  
  
The phone rang. He picked it up. "This is Sydney........yes......I will be there in an hour."  
  
His heart was beating faster. He had a summons from Lyle. He would be allowed to see Jarod. He prepared to leave. During the drive, excitement and fear were each chasing through him. He brutally clamped his emotions down. He needed to be level headed. He did not know what to expect, but he knew that he had to get some objectivity back. He could not afford to be openly hostile in front of Lyle and Raines. He had to appear to at least be willing to work with them. He could not allow them to see the depth of his feelings for Jarod. By the time he pulled up at The Centre, he appeared nothing more than a professional who was excited at the prospect of a new and interesting case.  
  
As Sydney entered the lobby, he saw Cox waiting for him.  
  
"This way please Doctor" he instructed as he ushered Sydney into a waiting elevator car.  
  
Sydney followed him in but made no effort at any conversation. He watched closely as Cox entered a code into the elevator keypad, but was unable to see the digits. They rode down in silence.  
  
As they exited at SL-27, Cox turned and smiled at Sydney.  
  
"I hope you like what we have done down here doctor" Cox was pleased with Sydney's apparent shock over the newly renovated sub level. "I imagine it is not quite what you expected."  
  
They had made their way to a door. Sydney was yet to speak. Cox paused and indicated that Sydney should open the door.  
  
"It's always a pleasure to confer with colleagues doctor, I am sure your insights will be invaluable."  
  
Sydney opened the door and entered a small room. He was not surprised to see Raines and Lyle already there. Along one wall was a darkened window.  
  
"Ahh, Sydney, glad you could join us" Lyle was almost bouncing with glee. "Please sit down."  
  
"Where is Jarod? I want to see him."  
  
Lyle ignored Sydney's abrupt tone and continued.  
  
"In a moment, but first we need to get a few things straight." He then flicked a switch and the window brightened.  
  
Sydney barely repressed a strangled cry as he saw Jarod strapped down to a table thrashing and moaning. He made a move towards the door, only to be stopped as Lyle's hand grabbed his upper arm.  
  
"Please stay. I want you to watch this. You need to understand how things are going to be. Why don't you make yourself comfortable."  
  
Sydney allowed himself to be guided into an empty chair. He did not take his eyes off Jarod.  
  
"Lyle, what have you done to him?"  
  
But it was Cox who answered.  
  
"Nothing really, we have introduced some drug cocktails...." He saw Sydney's sharp look, and he continued "...but don't worry, there will be no permanent damage. He is suffering from some very intense nightmares and I hear the nausea afterwards is very severe. But I assure you, he will be more or less back to normal after the treatment has run it's course."  
  
"You call this 'treatment'?" Sydney's outrage was complete. "This is nothing but torture!" All of Sydney's carefully constructed professionalism was gone. "You must know by now that you cannot coerce him this way. He will resist you even until death."  
  
"That's exactly right" Lyle purred. "That is why we need you Syd."  
  
"You are insane if you think I will help you with this" Sydney was looking at Jarod.  
  
Lyle was on his feet now, very close to the older man. Almost whispering in his ear.  
  
"Oh, we will have your help Sydney. Because if you don't get the genius working, this is only the beginning of what we will do to him. He thinks he has suffered, always bemoaning how unfair his life has been, well he has no idea just how bad things can really get."  
  
Sydney closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was almost too afraid to ask.  
  
"What will you do to him?" It was barely a whisper.  
  
Lyle looked at Raines and then at Cox.  
  
"We will do whatever we please. I believe Mr Cox has some innovative ideas on research for pain thresholds...."  
  
"Not even you Lyle, would go that far."  
  
"Don't count on that Sydney.....an uncooperative Jarod is the same as ......a dead Jarod......If he is not willing to work.....he is of no use to us.......But his genetics are invaluable......now you have a choice......either help get him working.....or abandon him to Lyle and Cox......" Raines finished with a laugh that sounded more like a cough.  
  
Sydney was defeated. He looked up at Lyle. "May I go to him?"  
  
"Why of course you can" and he opened the door for Sydney.  
  
Sydney entered the room and moved over to the table. There were tears in his eyes. He looked down at Jarod who had stopped thrashing for the moment, but was making small anxious noises. He brushed the hair back from Jarod's sweaty brow. Jarod made no move to indicate that he was aware of Sydney's presence.  
  
"Ohhh, Jarod, what are they doing to you? I am so sorry."  
  
Lyle and Cox entered the room.  
  
"It's time to go now Syd. Mr Cox here will explain some of the basic ground rules, but I am sure you have got the picture."  
  
Lyle put up his hand as he saw that Sydney was about to protest.  
  
"Sorry Syd." he gestured to the sweepers who came and unstrapped Jarod and dragged him from the room. ".....go with Cox, get a schedule worked out, you two are going to be working closely together on this one. But right now I got some work to be doing myself." And with that he left the room, following Jarod and the sweepers.  
  
Sydney followed Cox to what appeared to be a huge sim lab, complete with an office for Sydney. He was still in a state of shock and was not taking in any of Cox's inane babble. After a brief tour, Cox suggested that perhaps Sydney would be better off going home and thinking about he wished to proceed. After escorting him back to the lobby, Cox returned to speak with Raines.  
  
Sydney stood in the lobby for quite some time before he had the presence of mind to make his way home. He was desperate to believe that Jarod would be okay, but he knew that Lyle would do anything to get him working again. Sydney loathed the idea that he would allow himself to be used by Lyle against Jarod, but the alternative was so unthinkable. Lyle had said that he had till Monday morning to think about it, but Sydney already knew that he could not allow Lyle to hurt Jarod anymore. He knew that he would do anything to save Jarod from more pain, even betraying his trust.  
  
When Cox rejoined Raines, he could see that Raines was happy with the way the session had gone. Raines was very pleased with Sydney's reaction, there was no doubt in either man's mind, that Sydney would cooperate. All they needed was a little bit of pressure exerted, and they practically owned Sydney. They knew that eventually they would get their Pretender working, it was now just a matter of time. After tying up a few things, they both left the sub level, very happy with the days progress. Project Jarod had gotten off to an impressive start, and now Raines could turn his attention to the problem of his daughter.  
  
The 'treatments' continued, leaving Jarod sicker and weaker each time. By the time he woke in his cell on Monday morning, he no longer cared if he lived or died.  
  
Monday Mr Raines Office  
  
Miss Parker strode into the Chairman's office, confident and exuding power. There was no evidence of the emotional turmoil that had raged through her over the weekend. She sat down opposite her father and calmly waited for him to start.  
  
"I am very proud of you......"  
  
She smiled in acknowledgement of the compliment.  
  
"Now that Jarod is back....."  
  
"I am free to leave" she interrupted him.  
  
Raines shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, he is back, but he is not cooperating..."  
  
"Wait one damn minute" she was on her feet now, hands on her hips. "We had a deal. I brought back your Boy Wonder and I want out."  
  
Raines was clearly losing patience. He did not like being dictated to.  
  
"That deal was with Mr Parker....."  
  
The strength went out of her with that comment.  
  
"What are you saying? Jarod's pursuit is over. There is no need for me to be here anymore." But she knew she was fighting a losing battle.  
  
"Yes....the pursuit is over.....but I have a new deal for you......you help get Jarod working....and then you can be done with it......" he knew he had her now.  
  
"And if I go anyway?"  
  
"Well there would be......consequences..."  
  
She couldn't believe it. She should have known better. Of course he was going to renege on the deal. She looked at him with utter loathing. Her gun was in her hand before she had made a conscious decision to use it. She buried the barrel in Raines' chest.  
  
"You son of a bitch. I should kill you right now!"  
  
Raines' watery eyes didn't even blink. They both stood there, a moment frozen in time.  
  
"Consequences......Miss Parker......consequences...." he finally wheezed out.  
  
She tore her eyes away from his and looked down at the gun, quickly weighing up whether the consequences would be worth it. Could she kill her own father? But he was not just her father, he was the man that had killed her mother. She slowly replaced the gun to its holster.  
  
"Wise decision." Raines let out a shallow raspy breath.  
  
She put her fists on his desk and leaned in very closely, almost touching his face.  
  
"I help to get Jarod working, and I am out. Not negotiable. If you try to pull anything, I will show you what consequences really mean. Are we understood?"  
  
"Lyle is in charge of the.... project, and I will not allow you .......to undermine...."  
  
Her eyes flashed.  
  
"I will get him working, and then I am gone."  
  
"You get Jarod working.... and you have my personal guarantee..."  
  
She stormed out his office before he could finish and made her way to her own.  
  
As she entered the elevator, her eyes involuntarily sought out the corner. It was no longer there. Someone had finally fixed the hole, but she could feel it's presence. It was almost like a living thing. She resisted glancing upwards again. And for the first time, she thought that she really understood how trapped her mother had felt. How desperate she must have been to have taken such extreme measures. The knowledge that the suicide had not been real did little to dispel Parker's unease.  
  
She entered her office and slumped down in the chair. She had known that he wouldn't let her go. But she had not wanted to face the reality of it. She had considered trying to slip away, but she knew that they would find her. So now she was stuck here and she had sold Jarod into slavery for nothing. Despair was eating at her. She knew that Jarod would never cooperate with them and she imagined that they both would be here the rest of their lives, both trapped in their own private hell.  
  
She didn't believe that Raines would let her go, even if Jarod was cooperating. She could not see a way out. She took the photo of her mother and silently asked it "Oh momma, what am I going to do?"  
  
"Parker", Sydney popped his head in through her door.  
  
She looked up from her desk and sighed heavily.  
  
"What do you want Syd?" She was preparing herself for another fight.  
  
"Have you seen Jarod yet?"  
  
This was not what she was expecting.  
  
"No"  
  
"Lyle and Cox have him down on SL-27"  
  
"What?"  
  
Sydney informed Parker about what had been going on with Jarod and what Lyle and Cox were expecting from him. She then relayed what went on with her meeting with Raines. After both stories were told, Parker looked at Sydney and asked "So you are going to help them? You are going to try to get Jarod working?" She watched the emotions run across his face, the sadness in his eyes, the internal battle that he was waging. Finally he answered.  
  
"Yes. What other choice do I have? I cannot leave him in their hands. It is the only thing I can think to do to protect him." He was almost begging for her understanding. "What else can I do?"  
  
He looked down at his hands and neither of them said anything for a while.  
  
"What are you going to do Parker?" he finally asked.  
  
"I don't want to face him Syd" she finally spoke in a voice so low that Sydney was not sure he hadn't imagined it.  
  
She looked up at him, and he was reminded of when she was a little girl. She seemed so alone and so vulnerable. There was nothing in her at this moment of that hard woman he was so used to. He gently took her hand. She made a move to snatch it away. But he held firm and looked into her eyes.  
  
"You have to do this. I know it will be hard, but if you care about him at all, you will need all of your strength. For your own sake, as well as Jarod's, you need to be strong. We both do. We must behave in the way that they expect us to. It's the only thing we can do. Otherwise.....we will all be damned."  
  
SL-27  
  
The lock disengaged and Jarod looked up. Sam was there with a tray and a bottle of water.  
  
"How you feeling Jarod?" he sniggered.  
  
Jarod looked up at him apathetically. He was exhausted. His body was aching from the mistreatment he had suffered and his stomach from the endless bouts of retching. His throat was burning and his wrists looked like they might be infected.  
  
Sam looked down at him. "Eat" he instructed.  
  
When Jarod made no move to touch the food, despite the demands his stomach was making, Sam moved over and leaned down towards him.  
  
"Eat!" Sam raised his hand, but lowered it when he saw Jarod flinch. He left the cell with a satisfied smile.  
  
Jarod poked at the food. He was hungry, but he had to force himself to finish it. Gagging on almost every mouthful, each one reminding him of that which he could no longer have. What he really needed was some solid sleep. His body was yearning for it.  
  
He heard the lock disengage again and looked up, expecting to see Willie and Sam. He was surprised to see Lyle. He backed up uneasily into the corner.  
  
"Good morning Jarod."  
  
Jarod slowly stood up, grimacing as he did so. Sam entered, quickly followed by Willie. Willie made a move toward the cornered Pretender, handcuffs at the ready.  
  
"There will be no need for those Willie". Willie paused, clearly surprised.  
  
"But Mr Lyle....." he started.  
  
"Jarod, I want you to come with me..."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere with you."  
  
Willie started to move forward again.  
  
"I said, that won't be necessary. Jarod is going to come with us, he is not going to resist. Are you Jarod? I want a doctor to look at those wrists of yours. They look pretty bad."  
  
Willie looked over at Sam and then to Jarod who was as clearly confused by the situation as they were.  
  
"Mr Cox wont like this" Sam stated.  
  
"I don't care what Cox likes or not. We are going to the infirmary. Now Jarod, you can either come with me, or they can drag you. But we are going."  
  
Jarod moved forward, but Willie did not move. After a deadly look from Lyle, Willie finally stepped back. Jarod followed Lyle out of the cell and was flanked by the two sweepers, but they did not touch him. He was not sure what Lyle was up too, but he was very suspicious.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"I'm taking you to the doctor. You need some treatment." Lyle spoke as if he was explaining a complex problem to a ten year old.  
  
They entered what appeared to be some kind of medical room. Jarod hesitated at the door when he saw the surgical table. But Lyle gently grabbed his arm and urged him forward.  
  
"It will be alright. No-one will hurt you while I am here."  
  
Jarod relaxed a degree. He sat on the table as he was instructed to, and a doctor came over to examine him. After a shot of some penicillin, the doctor cleaned both of Jarod's wrists and gently wrapped them in bandages.  
  
Cox stormed in. "What the hell is going on here?"  
  
Lyle stood up to face him. "He needs some medical attention. He is no good to us dead. And I don't want any hard restraints used on him until those wrists are fully healed."  
  
"You don't have any say in what goes on down here. He is my project now and your interference will not be tolerated."  
  
The fight continued. Jarod felt as if he had stepped through some weird osmotic lens. He couldn't believe that Lyle was defending him. A memory surfaced of Lyle and kindness, but Jarod shook his head. He must be confusing reality and his experiences under the influence of the drugs they had been pumping into him. Perhaps he was drugged now. That would explain Lyle's behaviour. He shook his head again.  
  
"We will see about that." Cox nodded to Sam and Willie and they grabbed Jarod, tore him from the table and dragged him out the room. But they did not attempt to put the cuffs on him. As they dragged him down the hall, he looked back to see Lyle sadly shaking his head. They reached the now familiar room and Jarod was once again left to the tender mercies of his endless nightmares.  
  
Lyle and Cox watched Jarod from the surveillance room. They were both exceptionally pleased with how things were going. Lyle was chortling with laughter.  
  
Miss Parker's Office  
  
Broots had joined Sydney and Parker in her office.  
  
"What's the news Broots?" Sydney asked.  
  
Broots looked nervously over at Parker and then back at Sydney.  
  
"Well. I can't get in. The system is completely secure. I need to actually be down there....and even then.... I don't know."  
  
Parker was pacing now. "There's got to be some way in. You're just not trying hard enough."  
  
"You don't understand Miss Parker. This is airtight. I've never seen anything like it before." Broots was looking morosely at the floor. He finally admitted. "I don't think I can do it."  
  
Both Sydney and Parker looked at him in shock. Never before had he admitted defeat so completely. Sydney stood up, he was clearly frustrated.  
  
"But, I did find these." Broots held up two DSAs. "Well, it was more like they found me."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Parker snatched them out of his hands.  
  
"They were sitting on my desk."  
  
"Lyle, he wanted us to see what has been going on." Parker surmised.  
  
They watched the discs, showing Jarod undergoing his 'treatments', and Jarod in his cell, fighting with the sweepers. Parker was sickened by what she saw. And she knew now, that she could no longer avoid that turning point. She had been fooling herself up until now. It was time to choose and she knew that she could not be a party to this. Raines would never let her go, but she would make him pay. They would do what had to be done to save Jarod from Lyle in the short term, and in the long term, somehow they would get Jarod out.  
  
"Every minute we waste up here, they are hurting Jarod down there. I have to get down there and if it means getting him to cooperate and work on their damnable sims, then that is what I am going to do. Parker, are you with me?"  
  
"Syd, you know he won't do it. He won't give in, he will force them to destroy him."  
  
"Don't you think I know that? That is why we have to do it." Sydney sat back down, his outburst apparently over. "We have to save him from himself. I don't care what it takes, I will not let Lyle destroy him."  
  
"But, what can we do? "  
  
"We have to get him to do the sims."  
  
"But you will be playing right into their hands. That's what they want."  
  
"I don't care!" Sydney was shouting now. "I just don't want him hurt."  
  
"Syd, you are not making any sense. Jarod is not going to just roll over and do what you tell him."  
  
Sydney had calmed down somewhat. "I know. I know that. But I will find a way. I don't know how yet, and I don't know what they have planned, but we have to get him working."  
  
The week went by, and neither Parker nor Sydney were allowed to see Jarod. They spent much of their time taking nature walks in the hybrid biotracts, safely away from the ever-present cameras. Sydney was getting more desperate by the day to see Jarod. But over the course of the week, they had been working hard on ways of getting Jarod to cooperate. Sydney and Parker knew that he would not give in easily, but the two of them were also a formidable force. And they were both determined to keep Jarod alive. 


	7. Chapter 7

a/n: Many thanks to Onisius, and rem-cycle .....it's a shame you can't do anything to help out J as well.... Oh and everyone,...this story is now officially possessed.....sorry  
  
Chapter 7  
  
SL-27  
That week also passed by for Jarod. Although, if anyone had bothered to ask him, he might have said that it had been months. All sense of time had ceased to exist for Jarod. It was just a blur of nightmares. He had lost weight and had not had much sleep. His wrists were almost healed, but he was too exhausted to care anymore.  
  
Sam gave Jarod a gentle kick. The Pretender moaned and tried to roll over. Sam kicked him harder.  
  
"Wake up. Breakfast."  
  
Finally Jarod sat up, his eyes were bloodshot, with enormous dark rings under them. He looked up at Sam and then to his food. Sam harrumphed and left the cell.  
  
Jarod ate the food, for he knew there would be no more until tomorrow. He tried to prepare himself for what was to follow. He knew they would be coming for him soon, but he couldn't work up enough energy to care. When he heard the lock disengage, he sighed in resignation and tried to haul himself to his feet.  
  
Sam and Willie entered and each grabbed one of Jarod's arms. They dragged him out of the cell and took him to the sim lab. Jarod dejectedly thought that they didn't seem to realise that he was fully capable of walking on his own. He had been doing it practically his entire life.  
  
Jarod was surprised. He was expecting another round with Cox. The sweepers dumped him in a chair and left to stand guard at the door. Jarod looked around curiously. The room was enormous, not unlike the sim lab he used before, but this one appeared to be much more extensive. As he heard the door unlock, he felt apprehensive, but was again surprised when Sydney walked in. At first he felt relief, but then bitterness, as he realised what Sydney's presence in the sim lab meant. He did not want to believe that Sydney would be working with them.  
  
When Sydney saw Jarod, he rushed over to him and embraced him. "Oh Jarod, thank God you're alright!"  
  
Jarod grimaced, and tried to work his way out of the crushing embrace. When Sydney noticed Jarod's discomfort he released him and helped him to sit down again. "I am so sorry."  
  
"It's okay Sydney." He sat down carefully, obviously in pain. "What do you want?"  
  
Sydney looked at Jarod in confusion. His voice was flat. Sydney supposed that the fatigue would explain that, Jarod looked like hell, but he sensed it was more.  
  
"Jarod, what do you mean?" Sydney sat down next to the Pretender.  
  
Jarod was clearly on the point of exhaustion, but he was clear-headed for the first time since being back at The Centre.  
  
"You haven't come down here to make small talk Sydney." Jarod shifted away from Sydney. He got to his feet and started to pace. Jarod's lip curled in distaste as Willie stepped forward.  
  
"I won't do it. I won't do their sims. I am not your science experiment anymore. And if I ever meant anything to you Sydney, even in the smallest way, please don't ask me to. I can't. I won't." Jarod said all this without emotion, just a bald statement of fact.  
  
Sydney was flabbergasted. He had run into a brick wall already. He could tell just by looking at Jarod that he would be implacable. He tried to recover.  
  
"Jarod, we don't need to talk about that now. Look at you, you are exhausted. You need to get some rest."  
  
Jarod was too tired to play games, he had no intention of doing even a single sim, and he was not about to let Sydney manipulate him into it. He finally looked up at Sydney and laughed. It was a harsh sound, and it frightened Sydney badly.  
  
"Yes Sydney, that's what I need. Some rest, and everything will be alright after that, won't it? We will all go back and things will be just like they were before. And assuming I behave myself and perform......" Jarod stopped when he saw Miss Parker enter.  
  
Miss Parker made her way through the door. Her heart missed a beat when she saw Jarod. He had lost weight, dark blotches like bruises surrounded his eyes and she noticed fresh bandages around both his wrists. She covered her nervousness with a brisk attitude.  
  
"Any progress down here yet?" She was looking at Sydney, avoiding Jarod's gaze.  
  
Jarod dropped his eyes to the floor and the three of them stayed in an uncomfortable silence. Jarod refused to look at her and Parker busied herself with some papers. What was she still doing here? She had purchased her freedom with his, traded him as if he was no more than some piece of property. So had she come down to gloat? Was it not enough that she had captured him, condemned him to hell? Was her need to see him destroyed not yet fulfilled? Jarod cast surreptitious glances at Parker, trying to find something, anything that would tell him she was sorry, that she didn't want this for him, but all he found was haughty indifference. Something started to harden inside Jarod, and he didn't even try to stop it.  
  
Sydney finally broke the ice, trying to sound cheery. Jarod smiled wryly at the thought that this was Sydney's first "pretend". He wasn't very good.  
  
"We have just got started. I was about to tell Jarod about the situation we needed help with."  
  
Sydney had figured, that if they started with a humane sim, one that could not be twisted and used for purposes other than what it appeared to be, Jarod would be more amenable to helping. Sydney was counting on Jarod's innate sense of compassion, his natural desire to help. If he could just show Jarod that not all that The Centre was involved in ended in evil, that Jarod could continue to help people, perhaps even on a larger scale. It would keep him out of Lyle's clutches and they could figure out the rest later.  
  
But after two hours, Sydney finally gave up. Jarod sat morosely on the chair and refused to respond to any questions. Finally Parker had had enough.  
  
"This is getting us nowhere!" and she stormed out of the room.  
  
Jarod did not stir, as if he did not notice her exit. A few moments after she left, two sweepers came in to escort Jarod away. He did not resist.  
  
"Jarod..." Sydney began, but Jarod was already gone.  
  
Not long after Jarod's exit, Cox and Lyle entered.  
  
"Well, looks like we are not off to a very prestigious start." Lyle lounged in the same chair that Jarod had been sitting in. "It looks like Golden Boy is in for a hard day after all. Syd, I don't believe that you are really a fully committed member of the team."  
  
Cox looked at Lyle and smiled. "Perhaps we should invite him down to watch the entertainment. It might prove somewhat inspiring."  
  
Lyle snickered.  
  
"Lyle, if you hurt him...."  
  
"You'll what?" Lyle was on his feet now. "Syd, understand this. Everyday Jarod fails to cooperate is another day he gets hurt. The longer it takes, the worse things will become. And if you don't behave, your precious Labrat will pay. So do what you gotta do, and get him working. My patience is not without limit. You have a month."  
  
"A month? Are you completely insane? I couldn't get him working in six months, a year! Jarod will never allow you to exploit his work again. And your drugs and brainwashing won't work on him."  
  
Cox interrupted. "Don't worry Doctor. We will do our share. We will be diligently working on our dear Jarod, in fact, we are just about to start. After all, we all want the same thing, don't we? The trick will be ensuring that he gets working before he gets too damaged. It would really be a shame..........."  
  
"Yes Sydney. It would be a terrible shame if Jarod outlived his own usefulness." Lyle anticipated Sydney's protest, "It's a fortunate thing that we have a spare. Of course, we would have to increase our commitment to re-acquiring Jarod jr, and it would certainly crimp our timetable." He threw a smile at Sydney. "Come now, Mr Cox. I think its time we go down and explain to the Brain Trust just how committed we are to ensuring his cooperation, give him a demonstration of our resolve."  
  
Sydney stood there in mute frustration while he watched them leave.  
  
SL-27  
  
In the weeks that followed, the routine rarely varied. Jarod was combative and resisted as they hauled him to the sim lab. Each morning it was the same. He refused to cooperate, becoming more withdrawn each day. He never initiated conversation and responded in terse replies when directly questioned. Parker and Sydney had tried everything they could think of, but to no avail. Each morning they hoped to receive news that he had escaped, but this seemed less likely each day. They had begged, pleaded and cajoled. They had tried to reason with Jarod, and they were now trying threats. But nothing worked. They watched the Pretender slip further away each day and Lyle's deadline was weighing on them heavily.  
  
After the unsuccessful sessions in the lab, Jarod was taken and spent the rest of the day with Cox. But there was lots of variation here. The drugging had been stopped for the most part, Lyle wanted him fully conscious for this. Cox and Lyle had come up with many different and interesting ways of torturing Jarod, and Lyle was also a student of the classics. Cox was always there, and Raines showed up sometimes, but Lyle was always absent. He satisfied himself watching from behind the darkened window. At the end of each session Jarod was hauled back and unceremoniously dumped in his cell. Sleep was difficult, the pain was now a constant factor. Cox always ensured that Jarod hurt in enough places so that he could not rest comfortably. And between the nightmares, and the sweepers that came in to wake him constantly, he was lucky to get any decent sleep at all. Jarod knew that he was reaching the end of his endurance, but he did not want to think about what would happen when he finally gave in to the inevitable.  
  
The Sim Lab  
  
Sydney was at his wits end. The deadline was upon them, and Jarod looked like he might be dying. In the last month, Jarod had obstinately refused to give in even an inch, and Sydney watched helplessly as the Pretender was slowly disintegrating. Sydney was giving everything he had in a last ditch effort to save Jarod from Lyle and Raines.  
  
"How can you do this?" Jarod hissed. "How can you be a part of this?"  
  
"Jarod, if you just give them a little, a small token, then maybe we can get you out of that cell, we can stop ...."  
  
"Sydney, do you think I would sell my soul for a few creature comforts?" he was breathing heavily now, on his feet.  
  
"Please Jarod" Sydney was begging. "Jarod, for your own sake...."  
  
"For my sake of for your's, Sydney?" he threw back, not even attempting to keep the bitterness out of his voice.  
  
"Jarod. I...." Sydney moved over in an attempt to embrace Jarod. Jarod pushed him away. He fell heavily into the chair and looked up at the older man.  
  
"I can remember a time Sydney, a time when I would have done anything for your approval, anything Sydney. Can you understand that? I waited my entire life for you to embrace me like that, to offer......" he heaved in a breath, struggling with emotions "....some kind of comfort, some reassurance that I meant more to you....that....that I was something more than just a Pretender, a tool...........I'm not just a commodity, a thing to be traded, to be bought and sold......" He shook his head sadly "....it doesn't matter."  
  
Sydney grabbed Jarod's arm. "It matters to me"  
  
Jarod shrugged off the grip. "Do you want me to do the sim?" he saw the mute reply in Sydney's eyes.  
  
Sydney was frantic "Jarod, you don't understand...."  
  
"No Sydney. I understand just fine. It has always been this way and I was a fool to think it was ever anything different. How much more......"  
  
"Jarod, can you stop thinking about yourself for just one second?" The moment the words were out of his mouth he knew he would have done anything to take them back. But he was frantic and angry now, his desperation to save Jarod, mixed with his enormous guilt was a continuing pressure and now the explosion had begun, he was helpless to stop it.  
  
Jarod's head snapped up as if he had been slapped. Sydney paused briefly before he committed a conscious act of damnation.  
  
"You are not the only person involved here. You could be helping people, saving them. My life's work..." Sydney didn't know what he was saying anymore. He was angry at Jarod, at himself, at this whole damnable situation. Sydney had stepped in front of a gun, ready to take a bullet in order to save Jarod. He looked at Jarod and finally choked out "... How can you be so selfish?"  
  
Sydney fled. He could not face Jarod any longer. The look of surprised hurt on Jarod's face was too much for him to bear, and all of his anger dissolved. He knew that Lyle was watching and if Sydney stayed any longer, he knew that he would tell Jarod that he hadn't meant it, beg for his forgiveness. He staggered back to his office, sick with the knowledge that Jarod was now completely lost to him. He only hoped it was enough to save him.  
  
Jarod sat staring dumbly at the doorway. He shook his head, but the words survived his denial, they could not be taken back. He blinked in bewilderment when Willie and Sam entered. They grabbed his arms and dragged him back to his cell.  
  
Cox was there of course. He asked in a bored tone "Are we ready to comply today?" Cox looked at Jarod who refused to respond "I didn't think so." He left the cell and Sam and Willie went to work on the Pretender.  
  
After the beating was over, Sam shook his head and asked "Haven't you had enough? Why don't you just give them what they want?" He cracked his knuckles, shook his fist and grimaced in pain. Then he chuckled, "Though I gotta say" He looked over at Willie and smiled, "I don't mind all the over- time." Sam just couldn't understand why Jarod was being so stubborn, he was supposed to be a genius after all, surely he knew that this could only end one way.  
  
They left Jarod curled in abject misery in the corner.  
  
Cox returned to the surveillance room where Lyle was watching the sweepers work on Jarod. Lyle looked up when Cox entered. "I think it will be soon. Sydney's performance today has pushed him to the very edge."  
  
Cox sat down next to Lyle. "You know, I think you may be right Mr Lyle. I think perhaps it's time for a visit from his friend."  
  
"Tonight then, that should allow enough time for him to stew on Sydney's betrayal."  
  
"That's a date."  
  
Both men were laughing while they watched Jarod rocking back and forth in the corner.  
  
Jarod's Cell  
  
Every part of Jarod hurt. He did not know how long he had been here, but he could no longer remember a time when there was no pain. It was constant now. But none of it compared to the pain that was slicing through his soul. He could hardly believe the things that Sydney had said. Jarod had always known that Sydney was a creature of The Centre. But he believed that Sydney had cared about him, as a person, not just a resource. But perhaps he had been wrong about that too. His entire life he had wanted so very badly for Sydney to be a father to him. He thought bitterly about all the times that he had reached out, and how Sydney had failed to reciprocate. Jarod berated himself for being such a fool to think that he would ever be more to Sydney than just a lab-rat. He was, after all, nothing more than the culmination of Sydney's grandest science-experiment. It would be wise not to forget that. Bitterness and self-pity coursed through him in equal measure. He drifted off into an uneasy sleep and dreamt about fishing trips he would never take.  
  
Later That Night  
  
Jarod awoke to the sound of the lock disengaging. He groaned thinking about what Cox might have in store for him next. He didn't think he could survive much more of this. He blinked in confusion when he saw Lyle in the doorway. Lyle had been conspicuously absent from all the torture sessions. And the only memories Jarod had of seeing Lyle on the sublevel were hazy and indistinct, but they were of kindness.  
  
Lyle just stood there and wavered. Jarod notice two bottles of scotch in his hand, one seemed about three-quarters full. Lyle lifted a bottle to his lips and took a large swallow. He looked down at Jarod.  
  
"Hello"  
  
Jarod eyed him suspiciously. Lyle was obviously on the way to being drunk and Jarod was afraid of what Lyle might do to him. Lyle cautiously entered the tiny room, eyeing the small space warily. No sweepers followed.  
  
"What do you want Lyle?" he asked with resignation.  
  
"Me? I don't want anything." He was fully in the cell now and brought one of the bottles up to his chest. He grinned. "Well, actually, that's not true. I thought maybe I could ask you a question, now pointing a bottle at Jarod, if you don't mind that is."  
  
When the door clanged shut with a loud bang, Lyle jumped and turned around to look at it in confusion.  
  
"Oh fuck! The door shut." He roared with laughter. "I made a rhyme."  
  
"What do you want Lyle?" Jarod repeated. He was in no mood for any of Lyle's games.  
  
"Jarod, will you have a drink with me?" he moved towards Jarod and offered him the unopened bottle. Jarod made no move to take it.  
  
"That's your question?"  
  
Lyle placed the bottle next to Jarod and slid down the wall to sit next to him. He took another swallow.  
  
"Question?" Lyle cocked his head quizzically. "Oh my question." Lyle brought his knees up to his chest and rested the bottle on them.  
  
Jarod did not know what type of twisted game Lyle was up to, but was surprised to see tears form in Lyle's eyes and was in no way prepared for his question.  
  
Lyle was clearly uncomfortable. He looked from Jarod to the bottle and then back to Jarod. He took another swig and cast his eyes down to his hands.  
  
"I wanted to know...." He cocked his head a little and plunged on "....to know what it was like to be wanted." It was barely a whisper.  
  
Jarod was absolutely taken aback by the question. Before he could respond, Lyle had climbed to his feet and was trying to open the door.  
  
"You can't open it." Jarod stated the obvious, with a hint of accusation in his voice.  
  
"I have to get out of here now." Lyle was almost frantic, banging futilely on the door. He gave up after about a minute.  
  
"Someone will be along soon. I imagine someone is laughing themselves silly watching you." Jarod could not keep the amusement out of his voice.  
  
"Not so smart Boy Genius. No-one knows I'm here. No-one is watching. That's what I am supposed to be doing. Everyone else is in a big 'very' important meeting. But apparently my presence wasn't requested or required." Lyle was clearly unhappy about being excluded. He plomped himself down next to Jarod and took a long swallow.  
  
Jarod was on his feet in an instant. This could finally be the opportunity he had been waiting for. He took a quick look at Lyle, and then ripped the cover from the air vent. He hoisted himself up and started making his way to freedom. He got a couple of metres into the pitch dark ventilation system before his head crunched into something solid. He reached forward only to find the way blocked by very solid metal bars. He gripped them and tried to shake them loose, but it was no use. He sobbed in frustration.  
  
Back on the floor of the cell, Lyle smiled when he heard Jarod. But by the time Jarod had lowered himself back into the cell, there was no trace of that smile on Lyle's face.  
  
Jarod tried to replace the cover of the air vent, but he had bent it when he wrenched it off. He looked down at Lyle and briefly thought of clubbing him with it. Lyle looked up at him with bleary eyes. In the end, he just placed it on the floor. Lyle waved his maimed hand in the general direction of the air vent.  
  
"Waste of time. 's no good. Somebody finally wised up."  
  
Jarod's emotions swung from elation, back to the black depression he had been experiencing. He looked at the bottle. He sat down next to Lyle, cracked the seal and took a drink.  
  
He almost choked on the first swallow. Jarod had never been much of a drinker, and his body was so weak and undernourished now that the effects of the alcohol hit him almost instantly.  
  
"Well, what's it like? Everybody wants you. I just wanna know how it feels to be wanted." Lyle pointed his finger at himself, jabbing himself in the chest repeatedly. "Me, I'm a good-looking guy, I've got money, I'm smart....... But nobody ever wanted me, not even when I was a kid. You know, I had three fathers....and not one of them..." he took another long swallow from the bottle and looked at Jarod, mutely waiting for a reply.  
  
Jarod didn't know how to respond. He was still hurting badly from his encounter with Sydney and from the shattering knowledge that the air vents would offer no route of escape. And what's more, he didn't care. He took another drink. The Pretender looked at Lyle for a long time, trying to determine if this was some kind of ploy. He sighed, he believed that the pain in Lyle's eyes was real. He was about to respond when Lyle started again.  
  
"You know they all love you. Even my own father, you are more important to him than I am. Just once I would like to feel that somebody wanted me, cared about me."  
  
They sat in companionable silence. Each lost in their own thoughts. Jarod had stepped through the looking glass. He couldn't quite believe he was sitting here, getting drunk with this man. But here he was. As the alcohol permeated his system, the strangeness of the situation seemed less and less absurd. Jarod, quite drunk now, tried to sim Lyle. And he found that he had some sympathy for him. Despite all the things Lyle had done, Jarod found that he almost pitied him.  
  
"It's not true." Jarod finally spoke up. He was nearly halfway through his bottle now. "They don't care about me."  
  
"What are you talking about, for such a smart guy, you're pretty dumb. Of course they do."  
  
"No" Jarod could not keep the bitterness out of his voice. "They only care about what I can do for them. I'm nothing more than a rat running their mazes. As a real person, I don't exist." Jarod looked at the floor and took another drink. "I never have." The silence stretched on.  
  
Lyle seemed thoroughly engrossed in his missing thumb, and Jarod was carefully peeling the label from his bottle. Jarod looked up at Lyle and smiled. In another less bizarre situation, that smile would have been frightening. But they had both reached that gorgeous stage of drunkenness that allowed anyone to be your closest friend and confidante.  
  
"And besides, you are an evil bastard!" Jarod poked Lyle in the arm with his half-empty bottle. They both burst into laughter.  
  
Lyle looked up at Jarod in surprise. "I s'pose I am." Lyle punched Jarod playfully in the arm and sent him sprawling across the floor. "But hey, you're no angel yourself. Man, some of the things you've pulled. And I thought I had a vivid imagination."  
  
Jarod looked wounded, "But they deserved it, they were all bad."  
  
"Hey" Lyle raised his hands in submission. "You know my policy, don't ask, don't tell. I'm not judging man, just admiring your work. I particularly liked the one where you buried that guy alive, I gotta tell ya, it inspired me."  
  
"Yeah, that was pretty good wasn't it? But my personal favourite......" Jarod was grinning.  
  
Jarod crawled back and took another drink. He had spilled most of his remaining scotch. Lyle looked up expectantly.  
  
"Do you remember Lyle 1?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"C'mon, sure, you remember. Did you know there was only 10 miles on the odometer?" Jarod was giggling now. "It was a shame really."  
  
"You bastard!" Lyle cackled. "That's right! Shit, I loved that car." Lyle was shaking his head.  
  
"Yep, I blew that puppy up with a guided missile. Sorry you missed it." Jarod was nodding his head as he remembered that sweetness of that moment.  
  
"And you mailed me the goddamn number plate."  
  
"Well" Jarod protested innocently, "I didn't want you worrying, you know, not knowing and all."  
  
But then another thought struck Jarod.  
  
"Wait, wait! Do you remember that time when I kidnapped you...."  
  
"And you had that damned cattle prod?". They were both laughing hysterically. "Man, I thought my goose was cooked that day. I still can't figure out why you didn't......"  
  
Jarod slung his arm around Lyle's shoulders, sending them both into another fit of laughter.  
  
"Leave the thinking to the genius" he beamed a smile at Lyle and then screamed with laughter at his own wit.  
  
When Lyle could catch his breath again he asked, "What about that time in Arizona, ohh, you were so pissed at me, then I..."  
  
The laughter died in both their throats. They both straightened up.  
  
"Then I killed your brother." Lyle finished, hanging his head.  
  
"Yes you did." Jarod was fidgeting with the bottle.  
  
Lyle looked directly at Jarod and waited until Jarod looked back at him.  
  
"I am sorry. I am sorry I did that. You know, I didn't mean to."  
  
"No, you meant to kill me. Maybe we all would have been better off if  
you had."  
  
All the humour had evaporated in both of them. Jarod's mood swung back  
to morose depression.  
  
"You saved him you know. You saved his soul."  
  
"I didn't even know him." Jarod was shaking his head, lost in the  
memory of that moment when Kyle had collapsed in his arms. It seemed a  
lifetime ago, and Jarod was vaguely surprised at his lack of anger.  
  
"Jarod?" Lyle took another drink, the bottle was almost empty. "Do you  
think....... there's anything ...........redeeming........ in me, is there anything  
worthwhile?" Lyle was searching for the words.  
  
Jarod didn't answer Lyle. They both sat there in silence for a time.  
Lyle was looking around the tiny room.  
  
"How do you stand it?"  
  
Jarod looked up in confusion. Lyle swept his arm around. "This. How do you stand this? Being here?" Lyle shuddered, remembering his own time being locked up.  
  
"What choice do I have?"  
  
"That's deep." Lyle was nodding to himself.  
  
But Jarod wasn't listening to Lyle. He was thinking about his family, and the people he had previously thought of as his family. "Nobody loves me either."  
  
Lyle looked at Jarod with disbelief.  
  
"That's crap man. Sydney loves you more than his own son. And you have your father....."  
  
Jarod looked down at his hands and shook his head.  
  
"Sydney doesn't care about me. I wonder if he ever did. He just wants me to get back to work. All this time, I thought he......but it was all an act....he just wanted...... And my father doesn't need me anymore. He already has another me. A better me. One that's not as damaged. A newer model. He can reclaim all those lost years. He has his son back now. I have become redundant, obsolete, all I am is a reminder of.... They are both better of without me." Jarod, consumed by self-pity, curled himself into a tight ball and started rocking back and forth.  
  
Lyle put a comforting hand on his back and waited until the worst of his emotions were spent. The alcohol was finished now and Lyle was playing with the empty bottle. He thought Jarod had fallen asleep.  
  
"I am so tired. I am so sick of it all. It will never be over, will it?" Jarod asked in a voice so low Lyle could barely hear it.  
  
"No" Lyle sighed, "They own you Jarod." There was no enmity in the statement. "It doesn't matter if you're out there or in here, they own you either way. They always did."  
  
Jarod wanted to scream that Lyle was wrong. That he was a liar. But some part of him recognized the statement for what it was. It was simply the truth. That knowledge chased him into the blackness as he passed out.  
  
"They own us all." Lyle looked down at the unconscious Pretender, and he was drunk enough to feel some genuine compassion.  
  
In the surveillance room, Cox and Raines were watching. When they were certain that Jarod was truly asleep, they sent the sweepers in to collect Lyle. They tossed him carelessly on a bed in the staff quarters where he promptly fell asleep. Cox did not envy either man for the hangover they would have tomorrow. 


	8. Chapter 8

a/n: Onisius.....you really saved me on this one...thanks  
  
Chapter 8  
  
SL-27 The Next Afternoon  
  
When Lyle awoke, it was to a devastating hangover. His only solace was in his knowledge that Jarod would be infinitely worse off. He swallowed some aspirin and coffee and made his way to the surveillance room.  
  
Cox tried unsuccessfully to repress a smile when he saw what bad shape Lyle was in.  
  
"I see you're still alive"  
  
"Barely. Is the genius awake yet?"  
  
Lyle sat down next to Cox as Cox shook his head and started to replay the DSA from the previous night.  
  
"Thought you might need some catch-up. Don't know how much you remember. But you hit paydirt. If Parker doesn't finish him today...." Cox was very pleased.  
  
"Yes, the stuff about Gemini and his father. I thought Golden Boy was above such petty feelings of jealously and inadequacy. .......I never would have guessed....... Ohhh...... This is priceless. I don't think he knows where they are either, it must be killing him, after all these years to find his father, and then.... "  
  
"Indeed, I think his little family reunion has not gone at all the way he had imagined. We may not need them after all. He is very bitter and yes, I would guess he has barely seen them. This isolates him even further...."  
  
Lyle could see where he was going.  
  
"That just leaves Parker. She is the only one he still has any strong connection to. Sever that.....ohhh let the games begin." Lyle was eager to get Parker down here. But then a nasty thought occurred to him.  
  
"Has Raines seen this yet?" Lyle was distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of Raines seeing how vulnerable he had been. Would they believe it was just part of the act? Lyle had known Jarod would have seen straight through lies, so he had gone for broke, most of what he had said had been true. Feelings he had buried a long time ago, feelings that he refused to acknowledge, had resurfaced, and Lyle had been scared. Lyle did not like feeling out of control, and while Raines and Cox would buy his act, Lyle knew better, and he hated such vulnerability. He shook off the thought. It didn't matter anyway. He felt that it was going to be today. Parker would crush Jarod completely and then everything would have been worth it. And if she didn't......well, he had all new kinds of ammunition to play with now.  
  
Cox had turned the monitors back to Jarod's cell, the Pretender was not yet awake. As Lyle looked at Jarod lying on the floor, he almost felt sorry for him. They really should give him a mattress and a blanket. If things went well today, who knows, maybe they would.  
  
Jarod's Cell  
  
When Jarod finally awoke, he wished he hadn't. Memories of the drinking session came flooding into his tired brain, and he was aghast at the things he had said, and to Lyle, of all people. He tried to tell himself it was just another bad dream, but the soul crushing hangover would not allow that. He gingerly got up and relieved himself, and then he noticed the bottles of water. He gratefully gulped the first one down in practically one swallow. He wondered if Lyle was in trouble, or whether he had been playing a game. But Jarod had seen the pain in his eyes and had believed it to be genuine. He shook his head, it made no difference anyway.  
  
He lowered himself back on to the unyielding floor. At this moment he would have gladly given up a kidney for something soft to lie on. He fell uneasily into that place that is somewhere between awake and asleep.  
  
It was a beautiful autumn day as Jarod pulled up at his father's favourite fishing spot. As he got out of the car, he relished the feel of the warm sun on his face and arms. He noticed that his father and Gem were already there and they were talking to Sydney. Jarod paused and looked at the three of them. A smile came to his face. He had imagined scenes just like this his entire life, and to finally experience it was almost overwhelming. He wanted to freeze this picture in his memory forever. As they prepared to launch the small boat, Jarod listened to the inconsequential chatter, and a feeling of contentment settled over him. Family. This was the kind of thing that families did. The two men and the boy were in the boat now and Jarod was pushing them from the shore. He was just about to jump in when Sydney put up his hand, shook his head sadly, and said.  
  
"I'm sorry Jarod, but there's not enough room for you."  
  
Jarod looked from him, dumbstruck, to the empty seat by Sydney's side, and was about to protest. Then the major put his hand, in a possessive gesture, on Gem's shoulder and turned to face Jarod.  
  
"That's right. We don't really need you anymore."  
  
"Yeah, c'mon dad, lets do some fishing."  
  
As the boat moved off into the lake, Jarod could hear them laughing. He sank to his knees on the sand in shock, staring out at them. He wanted to swim out after them, but he couldn't get his muscles working. He remained that way, staring blindly for a long time.  
  
He didn't notice the woman in front of him until she ran her fingers through his hair.  
  
"Jarod, what's wrong? Jarod you're scaring me."  
  
He looked up into her beautiful blue eyes. They were full of concern.  
  
"They don't want me." He said miserably. He grabbed her waist and buried his head into her abdomen. "Nobody will ever want me."  
  
She pulled him to his feet and tenderly held his face with both of her hands.  
  
"Don't worry silly, The Centre will always want you. The Centre will always need you." She looked into his misery filled eyes. "And I will always want you. I will always need you." He looked at her, and he knew this was wrong. It was just another trick. She had rejected him so many times before, and he couldn't withstand her playing with him like this.  
  
"I lo....." she began. Jarod put his lips to her lips to stop the lie. He had waited his entire life to hear her say those words, but he could not survive hearing them now, knowing it was a lie. The kiss was tender, full of yearning and loss, but to Jarod, it tasted like the ashes of dead dreams. He released her, pushing her gently away and did what he always did. He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked away. Alone.  
  
Sam could see that Jarod was in the middle of a dream, an unpleasant one he suspected. He kicked him in the thigh. Jarod tried to roll away. Sam was losing patience, and kicked him again, harder. Jarod groaned as his stomach started doing cartwheels and he reluctantly opened his eyes.  
  
"Rise and shine." When Jarod refused to move, Sam reached down and hauled him to his feet. When Jarod tried to pull away, Sam slammed him into the wall. Jarod crumpled bonelessly to the floor. He wanted to crawl inside himself as his already nasty headache exploded into something truly mind- shattering. Sam reached down, grabbed the collar of the Pretender's shirt, and proceeded to drag a thoroughly wretched Jarod into the hallway. Willie was approaching.  
  
"Where have you been?" Sam growled.  
  
"Helping Cox set up. I think our boy is in for a special treat today." Willie grabbed one of the hapless Pretender's arms and helped Sam drag him down the hall.  
  
They pulled Jarod into Cox's favourite room, ripped his shirt from him and strapped him tightly into a high-backed metal chair. Sam and Willie left Jarod alone in the empty room. Jarod waited for Cox to show up, but when he didn't, he sighed in relief. He didn't have the energy even to wonder what they had in store for him today, and he certainly didn't know how he could possibly survive it.  
  
The Surveillance Room  
  
Lyle was still not feeling the best, and a quick look at Jarod assured him that he was not the only one. He looked over at Cox.  
"I need a break. I'm going out for some Chinese. I have been stuck down here for days, I need some fresh air and a little diversion."  
Cox looked up from what he was reading. He was only half listening to Lyle.  
"What?......But what about Jarod?"  
"Let him stew there for a while. It looks like he's not feeling too crash hot. Let the hangover wear off. I want his attention fully focused when Parker comes down for a visit. And it will be a nice break for him, get him out of the cell and all."  
Lyle chuckled at that thought. Watching Jarod squirming, he didn't even want to begin to imagine how uncomfortable Jarod would be in that chair. And after a few hours, it would become unbearable. Jarod would be fit to be tied, Lyle chuckled again.....oh wait, he already was.  
As Lyle was making his way out, he popped his head back around the door.  
"I'll be back, in say, 5 hours. Don't start without me."  
"Wouldn't dream of it."  
  
Miss Parker's Office  
  
Parker, Sydney and Broots were at a total dead end. For the last month Broots had been banging his head against the security system.  
  
"It's impenetrable. Maybe Jarod could crack it. But it's beyond my abilities." The admission was a bitter one. "I don't know what else I can do."  
  
"Broots, they are killing him."  
  
"I'm sorry Syd, I don't know what else to do." He repeated, he was clearly frustrated. "Maybe with more time..." Broots had not seen Jarod, and he was glad. Since the Pretender's return, Broots' focus had been redirected to running the mainframe for the entire facility. But he had still been unable to get into the sub level system. He had felt guilty, not only could he not get into the security, but his life had definitely become easier since Jarod's return. He looked from Sydney to Miss Parker, sighed and made a discrete exit.  
  
Sydney looked at Parker. "I have done many unspeakable things Parker. Things to protect Jarod. But after yesterday, I will never betray him again."  
  
Parker looked at Sydney, "You can't give up on him now. Don't make promises you can't keep. C'mon Syd, you know you will do whatever is necessary."  
  
Sydney sighed and tears filled his eyes.  
  
"No Parker. I am done. I will never be able to disappoint him or betray him again. He will not allow it. Trust has been broken and I fear that he is lost to me now. I have hurt him for the very last time. Whatever fragile bond we once had, has been severed, irrevocably. He has forgiven me many things, but...."  
  
"Syd, he was just hurt and angry, in time he will understand...."  
  
"No he won't. How much can a person take in one lifetime before it is too much? How far can you push someone before there is no turning back?" Sydney drifted off into his own thoughts.  
  
Sydney had not gone home last night, he had spent the night in his office, he had been horrified at the things he had said, the way he had felt. Jarod deserved better. He had catalogued all the pain he had caused Jarod throughout the years, all the times he had failed him and let him down. It was a long list. He thought about everything that had been stolen from Jarod, all the things he had been denied. But worst of all, were all the phone calls, when Jarod had reached out, practically begging Sydney for some kind of affection, some validation. "I was wondering if you ever thought about what it would have been like to be my father." Sydney cringed at the memory of it. "That was never an option Jarod, so I never allowed myself to entertain such a notion." He felt sick. He would regret that lie, and so many others, for the rest of his life. Jarod deserved the truth. After all the things that Jarod had done for him, his eyes lingered on the photos of Jacob and Nicholas, and he had failed to give Jarod even the smallest comfort. Jarod had given Sydney so much of himself, had trusted him and Sydney had stolen his life. And now it was too late. Sydney had once asked for Jarod's forgiveness, and he had believed that one day he might have earned it. But now he knew that that would never happen, he didn't deserve it.  
  
"Are you with us Freud?" Parker was snapping her fingers at Sydney's face.  
  
"It's up to you now Parker. He won't ever listen to me again. He will die if he stays down there much longer." He put his head in his hands and wept.  
  
Parker looked at Sydney and was appalled. She knew things weren't going well, but she couldn't believe that Sydney would give up on Jarod. She jumped when the phone rang. "What?"  
  
Sydney looked up.  
  
"That was Lyle. He wants me down there."  
  
"Please Parker, you have to save him."  
  
"I don't know what you think I can do that I haven't already tried."  
  
She looked up as Sam knocked on her door. She put a hand on Sydney's shoulder. "I'll try."  
  
Parker hated that Lyle had poached Sam from her. But she hoped Sam would still be loyal to her. As they rode down in the elevator, Parker turned to Sam and asked. "What's going on with Jarod?"  
  
Sam shifted uncomfortably. It was clear that he didn't want to discuss it.  
  
"Mr Lyle said I was to bring you straight down."  
  
Parker gave him a withering look.  
  
"It's not good. Cox and Lyle are destroying him. But he is one stubborn bastard. Anybody else would have given up a long time ago. I don't know how he has survived this long."  
  
"Sam, ....."  
  
The elevator doors slid open and Lyle was waiting.  
  
"So pleased you could join us." He drawled.  
  
"Lets cut the crap. What do you want Lyle?"  
  
"What I've always wanted. To get the Boy Wonder working. Time has run out. You and Sydney have failed miserably, and if the Labrat doesn't get working now, it's over for him."  
  
They were approaching a door. Lyle gestured for Parker to enter, and then he followed. He flicked a switch and the dark window was illuminated.  
  
Parker hissed in a shocked breath at what she saw. Jarod was strapped to a chair and he was bare-chested. Numerous electrodes were hanging from his face and body. Parker had known that he had lost weight, but she was horrified at how thin he was. He had a figure almost to rival a skeleton. Her soul screamed out in protest when she saw the damage that had been inflicted upon him. His torso was criss-crossed with welts and scars. Some looked like they had healed over, but others were still fresh. There were bruises all the way from his wrists to his shoulders on both arms. Some were faded yellow, and others were black and purple. She had seen the sweepers grab him many times, but had never given it very much thought. Her heart was breaking for him. She had known of course that things were going on down here, but she had never allowed herself to imagine anything like this. And Jarod had never once said anything to indicate how bad things truly were.  
  
Lyle was carefully watching her reactions.  
  
"Not a pretty sight."  
  
She turned on him with fury blazing in her eyes.  
  
"Lyle, you goddamn bastard! You are lucky I don't kill you right here!"  
  
Lyle laughed at her. "You are beautiful when you're angry." He caught her hand just before it got to his face.  
  
"Now, if you don't want to make things worse for Ratboy in there, you will get in there and make him do as he is goddamn told." He twisted her wrist cruelly.  
  
She looked at her brother with contempt. She knew that this was not the time, but his time would come.  
  
"Ahh, so it begins." He let go of her wrist. "Now watch."  
  
Parker's attention was drawn to the window as she absently rubbed her wrist, Cox had entered with Willie and Sam and was slowly circling around Jarod. He reminded Parker of a shark.  
  
"Well Jarod, here we are again. Do you know, I am getting a little bored with this game, perhaps tomorrow I will have to try something new. What do you think?" Cox walked over to a machine and flipped a switch. Jarod's body twitched and he let out a low moan.  
  
"Have you had a change of heart?"  
  
Jarod answered with a sneer.  
  
"No, I can see that you haven't. Very well." He walked back to the machine and dialled it up a notch. Jarod's body tensed and was now shaking.  
  
Parker could see that he was straining against the leather restraints, his fists were clenched so tight that his knuckles were white.  
  
"Enough?" Cox cranked the machine again and a scream ripped from Jarod. He turned the machine off and Jarod slumped in relief, panting heavily. His ruined body was slick with sweat.  
  
Parker turned to Lyle. "Stop this now!"  
  
"No can do. Sorry sis, it stops when he starts. Just what part of that do you not understand? If you think you can convince him to cooperate, then go for it." Parker moved to the door, only to find it locked. Lyle made no move to unlock it.  
  
"He's not ready yet. He needs a minute" Lyle chuckled. "He's an artist you know, high strung, doesn't like to be interrupted."  
  
Parker watched Jarod and she knew that she had to get through to him somehow. Surely he could not survive much longer. All the begging and pleading had been useless. So she decided that she would do what she knows best. She would be the ice-queen. She had always chosen survival over her emotions. And as much as this would hurt her, hurt them both, she would choose Jarod's survival over her own emotions now. She desperately wanted to take him in her arms and run away from this place. Take all his hurt away. But instead, she gathered every negative emotion she could find, thought of every shitty thing he had ever done to her over the years and wrapped it around her like a blanket. She thought about Tommy, about how Jarod's pursuit had killed him. When she entered the room she would be prepared, and Jarod would be afraid.  
  
Cox came around to face Jarod.  
  
"You have a choice Jarod."  
  
Jarod croaked out a laugh. He looked down at the strap across his chest, the restraints binding his wrists to the chair and at the two sweepers.  
  
"Yes, I can see that."  
  
Cox was not perturbed.  
  
"Ahhh Jarod. There are always choices, we may not always like them, but they are there, nonetheless." The door opened to admit Miss Parker.  
  
Cox looked up and continued. "Take Miss Parker here, she has made her choice, now it is time for you to make yours."  
  
Jarod hissed in a breath and Cox smiled as he saw that he had hit his mark. Cox strolled back over to the machine. Parker did not miss the significance of Cox's proximity to the controls.  
  
As she looked at Jarod, she fought hard not to cry. She was expecting some retort from him, an accusation, it would make it easier for her, but he just sat there, staring at her. There was none of the warmth and sparkle in those eyes that she was so used to. Since he had been captured, he had barely spoken to her.  
  
"They tell me you have not been cooperating."  
  
"How can you do this?" It was barely a whisper.  
  
"Don't be so naïve Jarod." She shook her head.  
  
"Parker, please, you know you don't have to do this." His eyes were pleading with her.  
  
Parker swallowed the bile in her throat and laughed at him. "Centre reality check Jarod. When are you going to figure out how things really work?"  
  
"It's even worse than that Miss Parker." Cox spoke up, eager to fuel the little lover's tiff. "Did you know he tried to escape last night?"  
  
"Did he really?" A brief spark of hope ignited in her. "We can't have that now, can we?"  
  
"We do what we have to, just to get by in this life Miss Parker" Jarod's anger was rising. He was glaring at her now.  
  
She hated that he threw back her own words at her, and she was glad he was restrained. He looked like he wanted to kill her, and she was very afraid of him at this moment. She used her fear like a weapon.  
  
"Why can't you, just for once, do as you are told? Why do you always have to make everything so damn difficult?"  
  
"Do as I am told for once?" Jarod was incredulous. "What!? I have been doing what I am told for the last thirty fucking years!"  
  
Jarod was furious now. He tried in vain to free himself from the chair, almost crazy with frustration. How he wanted to get his hands on her. He was nothing to her but some kind of animal, sport. And she was the consummate hunter. "I run, you chase. That's the way it goes isn't it?" he finally growled out at her.  
  
She pulled her gun and ground it mercilessly into his knee. "We'll see how much running you do with a bullet in your knee. So help me Jarod."  
  
Jarod grimaced in pain as he tried to move his knee away. But he was hindered by the restraints.  
  
"Your mother would be so proud." He ground out through clenched teeth.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" She slapped him, hard, across the face.  
  
Jarod's head rocked to one side, a stinging red handprint standing out on his pale skin, blood oozing down his chin from the corner of his mouth.  
  
Anger and fury consumed her. She moved in close to him. Pushed the muzzle of her gun deep into the hollow at his throat. She roughly grabbed his face and pulled it around so he was facing her. When he tried to pull from her grasp, she grabbed tighter, digging her nails into the soft flesh of his cheek. Her eyes bored into his.  
  
"I've warned you before, leave my mother out of it." She used her thumb to smear the blood over his lips, forcing it into his mouth. As Jarod helplessly sat there, she saw Tommy. She saw his sprawled and bloody body sitting on her front porch, and it wasn't Jarod's blood that she saw on her hands, it was Tommy's. Jarod had killed Tommy. Jarod had sent Tommy to her and he must have known what was going to happen. She wanted him to taste that blood, taste the guilt. She wanted him to know.  
  
Jarod flinched from her fury. And his anger turned to bitter disappointment as he looked into her eyes, searching for some evidence of the woman he wanted her to be. Looking for the little girl that had given him his first kiss. He had since measured all other kisses by that kiss, and had found them all wanting. Now, tasting his own blood, he found nothing but coldness.  
  
She finally let him go, pushing his head back so that it banged painfully against the back of the chair.  
  
"Somebody put this rat back in it's cage." She dismissed Jarod contemptuously and calmly placed her gun back in it's holster. "We are done here."  
  
Cox stood serenely, his hands folded behind his back. He was enjoying the show immensely. He nodded to Willie and Sam when he realised that Parker had finished.  
  
Jarod looked at her now as if seeing her for the very first time. Finally he closed his eyes. Perhaps she had become the façade after all. Jarod had held on to the childhood ideal of her for so long, the only light in his otherwise dark life, that he had failed to recognize the reality. She was a product of The Centre and she had not survived this long on family ties alone. She had flourished and could hold her own against the best and worst of them. The little girl was long gone, despite his stubborn refusals. Had he been so desperate for any kind of affection, that he had manufactured some where none had really existed? As this knowledge crashed into him, it was like a great gust of wind had blown out the only candle remaining in the dark. The simple truth was that she didn't love him, and would never love him. The idealised love that he had carried throughout his entire life had finally been extinguished. That last tiny piece of him that clung to hope, broke and shattered. He did not have the strength to withstand any further degradations of the soul. And as his 'happily ever after' died, he finally realised that he belonged to them now, there was nothing in him left to fight with.  
  
Willie and Sam approached Jarod cautiously. He might only be a shadow of the man he used to be, but he could still be dangerous. As they unstrapped him from his restraints, they were expecting a fight. They grabbed him tightly, but he staggered in their grips. Jarod had been strapped down for too long and he could not get his limbs to work. He hung helplessly in their grasp as they dragged him out the door. He did not look at her again.  
  
Parker watched in numb misery as the sweepers grabbed Jarod. As they roughly hauled him towards the door, she was offered her first view of the devastation that had been wrought upon his back. Her anger evaporated immediately. Tears sprang to her eyes as she gauged the extent of that damage. Her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to suppress a silent scream when she saw the large capital L that had been carved into the midst of the wreckage, between his shoulder blades.  
  
When Jarod had been removed, Lyle entered. He was ecstatic.  
  
"Things could not have gone any better." He was practically dancing. "Splendid. Splendid."  
  
"Yes, very well done Miss Parker. I must congratulate you. That was an impressive performance."  
  
"Sis, you were wonderful, just wonderful."  
  
Parker looked at him in horror.  
  
"Ohh, you liked my handiwork? I have been dying to tell him about it" Lyle shot an amused look at Cox, "but I just can't seem to find the right time."  
  
Parker shot them both a look of pure poison. She made a move towards the door, half expecting Lyle to stop her. But he was too busy with Cox and she slipped out. When Parker was out the door she ran to the bathroom and threw up. She sat there for a long time and cried until there were no more tears left.  
  
"Oh Jarod, what have I done? I am so sorry."  
  
The image of that L was burned into Parker's memory as surely as it was carved into Jarod's flesh. It had looked like it was still fairly fresh, dark purple bruising surrounding the immediate area. Parker closed her eyes against the revulsion of knowing that Jarod would carry Lyle's mark for the rest of his life.  
  
Sam eventually found her and escorted her back to her office where Sydney was still waiting. After one look at her face, he did not need to ask how things had gone.  
  
"Ohh Sydney, what have I done?"  
  
Sydney quickly got up and eased her into her chair.  
  
"Parker, what happened?" Alarm making his voice shrill.  
  
But Parker slowly shook her head, tears coursing down her cheeks. How could she tell Sydney what had just happened? Shame burned through her at what she had said and done. How could she ever face Jarod again? How could she ever look in a mirror again?  
  
Sydney held her in a clumsy embrace and rocked her gently back and forth. But as he was stroking her hair, he was thinking about Jarod.  
  
After Parker left, Lyle and Cox made their way to the elevators. It was time to give the good news to Raines. Lyle could not hide his glee.  
  
"Too bad Raines missed it." Lyle snickered.  
  
"Yes, I guess someone forgot to invite him." Cox shot Lyle a knowing look.  
  
When they got back to the cell, Jarod was thrown carelessly onto the floor. His limbs weren't working still, so he remained where he had fallen. He fell asleep almost instantly. And for the first time in many years, he was not plagued by dreams.  
  
The Next Day Jarod's Cell  
  
When Jarod finally awoke, he was stiff and sore from lying on the concrete for so long. But he felt well-rested and he wondered if this was the kind of sleep that other people took for granted. He noticed that his food was already there and he consumed it without tasting it. He would do the sim today. And as he admitted this to himself, he was surprised at the feeling of relief that swept through him. He had fought so hard and for so long, and for what? He was glad that it was finally over. Things would be easier now. All the pointless guilt, he had tried so hard, everyday, since he broke out to wipe the innocent blood from his hands. But nothing he could ever do would remove it, nothing would ever be enough. The endless search for answers that probably didn't exist, he was so tired of it all. The pain and suffering. Was it that much to ask just to get through one day without some new atrocity being inflicted upon him?  
  
When he heard the lock disengage, he rose to his feet and moved forward when Sam beckoned him.  
  
"What's it gonna be, the sim lab or a meeting with Mr Cox?"  
  
"The sim lab" Jarod said in a small voice. He couldn't even work up enough emotion to hate himself for it.  
  
"Good boy", Sam praised him as you would a small puppy. 


	9. Chapter 9

A/n: Once again, thanks to Onisius.....i never could have come this far without you  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Later SL-27  
  
The days blurred into weeks. Jarod performed whatever sim was requested of him, usually without complaint or reservation. At first, the sims were innocuous, Lyle did not want Jarod to balk at anything too ambiguous. But as time passed, they became more complex and more controversial. Lyle's fears seemed to have been groundless. Jarod appeared to have abandoned his crusade for the little guy, and if he did hesitate, a session or two with Cox usually remedied the situation. Jarod's primary concern now seemed exclusively focused on his own well-being. Sydney slipped easily into his old role as Jarod's handler, and for the most part, things seemed to be going along smoothly. It was almost as if Jarod had never been gone. Lyle and Raines could not have been more pleased. But Jarod no longer spoke to Sydney, or anyone for that matter, unless he was directed to. And when he was questioned, he responded in brief, terse replies. He avoided eye contact completely by keeping his eyes lowered to the floor. The only times he ever looked up were when the simulations required it.  
  
Jarod had gained a little weight, although he was still very thin. He was now fully healed, and the majority of the physical abuse had stopped. Jarod was careful to do as he was told, and discipline was rarely required anymore. His days were made up of the simulations in the lab and he threw himself into them with abandon. They were all that he had left anymore, and he would certainly have gone insane without them. They occupied his days fully. The nights however were very difficult. Left alone in his cell with nothing to do but think. He would stare at the hateful red blinking lights of the cameras, and sometimes he would think that the cameras were actually touching him, he thought he could feel their filthy hands roaming over his body, violating him. He knew of course that this was ridiculous, insane even, but the feeling persisted.  
  
Sleep proved evasive. He could not help but laugh wryly at the irony. He had all the time in the world to sleep now, and he was no longer plagued by dreams of any kind. But he had gone with almost no sleep his entire life and his body stubbornly refused the change. So he would sit in the cold, on the bare concrete floor, wishing that they would turn the lights out, even for just one moment. It was easier to pretend in the dark. But the lights never went out. He would try and conjure memories of all the wonderful things he had discovered. That first taste of ice-cream. The feel of the sun and the wind when riding in a convertible. The sound of laughter. The warmth of a touch that was gentle, and did not want to inflict pain. The decadent pleasure of a hot shower, and the sheer luxury of lying on a soft bed, snuggling in the warmth of pillows and quilts.  
  
His captivity was so much harder to bear this time, for he now understood what it meant to be free, it was not just a vague abstracted idea. To be able to make choices, even small, seemingly insignificant ones. But each day it got harder to recall these things. They were becoming vague and indistinct, and he sometimes wondered if he had made them up. It was almost as if the years he had been free were just a dream, delusional fantasies of a man driven insane. He tried desperately to hold on to them, to recall the faces of the people he had come across. The people he had helped. Where were they now? He had helped so many, was there not even a single one of them that would step forward to help him now? As his memories of all the good things that he took so much pleasure in faded, they were being replaced by fresher memories. Memories of pain and betrayal, torture and abuse. Each day his despair deepened and his resentment grew.  
  
As the weeks rolled by, Sydney could see Jarod recovering physically. Since he had started cooperating, the mistreatment had stopped for the most part. Sydney was enormously relieved, but he was being eaten alive by guilt. Jarod had developed a sickly looking pallor, and his eyes held a haunted look. Work progressed in the labs and Jarod seemed out of imminent danger of termination. But Sydney was deeply concerned. Jarod had spurned any attempts Sydney had made at personal contact. Sydney could not really blame Jarod, but was deeply hurt nonetheless. Jarod no longer initiated any kind of conversation and always responded with "Sir" or "Dr". In all the years Sydney had known Jarod, he had never felt a gulf this deep between them. It was as if each day the old Jarod was being replaced by a bitter and twisted new one. Sydney began to wonder if he they had traded Jarod's physical well-being for his soul.  
  
Parker was occasionally present in the sim labs. She did this only at Lyle and Raines insistence. She had no desire to go down there. It broke her heart to look at Jarod now, and every day it got harder, as she watched Jarod disappear a little more, a piece at a time. She was terrified that one day she would look and Jarod would be completely gone. She now dreamt of him constantly and she felt completely helpless. She was haunted by him, and haunted by what she had done. She would give her life if she could just take it all back. Parker, Broots and Sydney had examined every possible thing they could think of to try and get him out. But they kept coming up with dead ends. Sydney was depressed and listless, the guilt seemed to be withering him. Each day she watched both Jarod and Sydney slip further away. She was determined to do something, but short of killing half the people at The Centre, she had no idea about what to do. She was afraid that if they couldn't get him out of there soon, there wouldn't be enough of Jarod left to rescue.  
  
Sim lab SL-27  
  
The weeks had turned into months. Jarod was growing more sullen and resentful and had to be disciplined far more often. Mr Cox was always happy and willing to show the wayward Pretender the error of his ways. Jarod was always escorted by at least one sweeper when he was out of his cell, usually two. But today Sam was by himself and had just escorted Jarod to the sim lab where he was waiting for Sydney to arrive.  
  
Jarod wandered listlessly around the lab under the watchful eye of Sam. Jarod hated Sam with an intensity that was almost frightening. Over the last few months Sam and Jarod had come to an understanding: Jarod did as Sam told him, or there was hell to pay. As Jarod idly picked up items that he assumed would be used for the upcoming sim, he was thinking about how likely it would be that he could kill Sam with one of them. But Jarod knew that he was no longer any match for the sweeper. Even when he had been in top condition, it would have been even money. But the months of torture, hunger and inactivity had reduced Jarod's once impressive physique and strength, and he doubted that he would even have been able to overcome Parker.  
  
When the door opened, Sam looked up to see Miss Parker. She was dressed in a black skirt-suit with a deep violet silk blouse. Parker had been given strict instructions about her attire. She was to wear grey pant- suits only when visiting the sublevel, nothing provocative. Sam thought that there was going to be trouble when Mr Lyle or Mr Cox found out. But she had not anticipated seeing Jarod today, and had been called in by Sydney, who was going to be running late. Parker feared these sessions with Jarod. She could not look at him without wanting to cry, and the coldness that he showed to her just made it worse. Throughout all of Jarod's life he had been abused and exploited, but somehow he had managed to hold onto his sense of humour and his sense of compassion, his ability to love and look for the best in people. He had somehow even found the best in her. It was his humanity that set him apart from others. But as Parker watched him now, there was no evidence of any of that left in him. It was as if every good thing that had made Jarod "Jarod" had been burnt out of him and all that was left was this bitter and twisted creature. Lyle had done his job well.  
  
As much as Jarod had driven her crazy, she would have given anything for a glimpse of that old Jarod, just a hint that he was somewhere still in there. She kept hoping the he was pretending, lulling them into a false sense of security, preparing for his inevitable escape. But if he was, he had certainly taken it to extremes. She took a deep breath and slipped into her role as the Centre's implacable Miss Parker and strode across the room. She knew that Lyle was watching and that he only sent her down here so that he could enjoy her discomfort, but she was damned if she was going to give him the satisfaction.  
  
Jarod smelled her before he saw her. The Chanel was unmistakable. When he looked up, he sucked in a shocked breath. But it wasn't Parker that had caught his attention. It was the colour of her blouse. Jarod could remember seeing that exact colour once, a life-time ago, in young girl's ravaged face. The silk was so beautiful, so vibrant that it made his heart ache. His whole world was now made up of grey. Grey cell walls, grey cell floor, grey hallways, grey suited-sweepers and his own grey clothing. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes and he desperately wanted to touch it. He knew it would be soft, and it had been so very long since he had touched something soft and beautiful. And as Parker haughtily strode across the floor without so much as a glance at him, and perched herself on the edge of Sydney's desk, an unreasoning certainty seized the Pretender. She had come down here to flaunt that beautiful colour at him, to make sure that he knew his proper place. It was an affront.  
  
Parker noticed Jarod looking at her. It was the first time in a long time that he had looked at her without being told to. She was frightened by the emotions that were chasing across his face, the look of cold hunger that was in his eyes. When he started to approach her, with one hand outstretched, his lips curled in some demented smile, she backed around the desk nervously and shot a worried look at Sam.  
  
Sam was watching Jarod stare at Miss Parker with amusement.  
  
"That's as close as you are going to get to a woman ever again buddy- boy" Sam was thinking to himself. But when Jarod made a move towards her and Parker backed away, Sam moved towards Jarod. There was no way Jarod was going to lay one finger on her, Sam would see hell freeze over before he let him touch her.  
  
"Jarod." Sam's voice was conversational, no hint of threat just yet.  
  
Jarod froze in place, never taking his eyes off that colour. Parker was incredibly surprised when Jarod stopped dead in his tracks, she had never seen him so compliant. She stood there, eyes darting from Jarod to Sam. She could see that Sam was ready to pounce on Jarod, and she could also see Jarod wanting to move forward, but resisting the urge. In another situation, it would have been comical.  
  
"Sit down Jarod." Sam's voice was stern, but still calm. "Now."  
  
Jarod took another step towards Parker.  
  
As Parker was looking at him, his eyes were dark and glittering, she realised that she could see none of the old Jarod, there was nothing playful in this at all. And it really scared her.  
  
"Don't defy me Jarod." Sam's voice now carried the implicit threat of violence.  
  
With an enormous effort Jarod tore his gaze from the blouse and looked at Sam. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. His mouth was working to form soundless words. Humiliation raged through him as he finally moved towards the chair and sat.  
  
Parker let out a small nervous giggle and smiled in relief. Jarod misinterpreted her smile and his humiliation quickly fanned to anger.  
  
"I'm glad you enjoyed that. It must please you no end to finally have me obedient, submissive, at your beck and call. Ready to perform at your bidding." He spat out at her. "Does it titillate you to see me so subservient?"  
  
"Jarod, I. No. That's not true Jarod." Parker shrank back under the verbal assault. But she had always been quick to anger, and was soon on the defensive. "How dare you? Do you believe that this has been easy for me, that I am enjoying this?"  
  
Jarod remained sitting in the chair. He was massaging the scars that now encircled his wrists. He did not meet her gaze. He had done so much for her, had given her so much. The secrets to her past, the momentos from her mother, his trust. He was such a fool! He had trusted her Inner Sense and look what it had gotten him. She had shot him in the back, imprisoned and tortured him and now she was laughing at him. It was too much and resentment was building in him each second, eating through him like acid.  
  
"You were right. I am just as much a prisoner of The Centre as......." She was trying to make him understand.  
  
But he did not allow her to continue. With a quiet, but deadly voice he started. He was unable to help himself.  
  
"Is that so? Tell me, would you like to swap accommodations for a while?" The sarcasm in his voice was dripping, thick like honey. "You can spend a week enjoying time in Cox's chamber of horrors and then sleep on a concrete floor in a freezing cell so small you can reach out and touch both walls and while you are enjoying your time here, I will sit on your sofa, sipping 12 year old scotch and suffer the torments of an agonizing evening watching the fire while I relax and eat whatever food I choose and then, after a long hot shower, sleep in that warm soft bed of yours......" Jarod's voice was steadily increasing in volume. He was breathing heavily as got to his feet and made a move toward Parker.  
  
Parker backed up against the wall. She had never seen Jarod like this before and she was deadly afraid that she might have to shoot him in self- defence. But then Sam was there. Sam captured one of Jarod's arms and twisted it cruelly up behind his back. Jarod stopped in mid-rant and let out a startled cry of pain. He started struggling madly as Sam tried to drag him away from Parker. Sam produced a small device from his pocket. It was a popular item that women carried for self-defence, but it also came in mighty handy in the controlling of recalcitrant pretenders. Sam zapped Jarod with it and he wailed in pain and stopped struggling long enough for Sam to get a handcuff locked around Jarod's trapped wrist. But then Jarod started again and was fighting like a lunatic. Sam zapped him again and finally managed to get Jarod's other hand and he snapped the second cuff on, trapping Jarod's hands behind his back. He dragged the indignant Pretender across to the wall where he then unlocked one of the cuffs, looped it through a railing that was fixed to the wall at waist height, and then resecured it around Jarod's freed wrist, locking Jarod to the railing with his hands still behind his back. Jarod howled in frustration as he found himself chained to the wall.  
  
Sam stepped back and was panting. But he had a grim smile on his face.  
  
"You never learn do you?"  
  
Jarod lunged forward with murder in his eyes, only to be pulled up sharply by the handcuffs. Jarod howled again, and started screaming his fury at Sam.  
  
Sam took a casual step back, ensuring he was out of harms way and threw Jarod a taunting smile. Satisfied that Miss Parker was no longer in danger, he returned to his post at the door.  
  
All reason had fled. Jarod was pulling insanely against the restraints, trying to rip the railing from the wall. Blood started dripping down his hands, pooling on the floor, as the metal ripped into his wrists. He turned his attention back to Parker. This was all her fault. That bitch had put him here.  
  
"You did this! This is your legacy! This is what you wanted! You win! You hunt me, and then shoot me like some kind of animal! And then you throw me in a cage!" Jarod was screaming at her. "And now you come down to watch your pet perform! Well I hope you're enjoying the show!"  
  
Parker was horrified. And she tried to calm Jarod down.  
  
"Please Jarod! My god stop it, you're hurting yourself!"  
  
Jarod froze and shot a venomous look at Parker.  
  
"And should I reserve that privilege just for you?"  
  
At that moment Sydney entered. Parker nearly fainted with relief.  
  
"What is going on here?" He immediately went over to Jarod. But Jarod shrank away and screamed at him.  
  
"Don't you touch me!"  
  
"Parker, what happened here?"  
  
But she was at a loss to explain. "Syd, I don't know. I came in and your boy went off the deep end."  
  
"What did you say to him?"  
  
Jarod stopped his struggling enough to watch the exchange between Parker and Sydney.  
  
"Well, he is obviously not himself, what set him off?" Sydney was angry with Parker, he knew how mean she could be.  
  
"Not myself? And how would you know, Syd?" Jarod interrupted. He spat the last word out like it was something that tasted bad. Jarod had never before used the shortened version of Sydney's name.  
  
"How can you tell? Who am I?" he was straining forward again, staring at Sydney as if by sheer force of will he could make the old man tell him. "How can you live with yourself? What you've done to me!"  
  
"Jarod, please. I am just trying to help."  
  
"Help! You want to help?" Jarod was beyond incredulous. He turned his fury on Sydney. "Can you help me out of my cell? Out of The Centre? Can you help me to get a hot shower? Can you give me my freedom? Can you give me the sun on my face? Can you help me find my mother? Can you help me get back all the years you stole? Can you give me back my family? Can you give me back everything that has been taken from me? Can you give me back that life that should have been mine......thirty years, Sydney. More than thirty years.......What did I ever do to deserve this? What you did to ME! You.......I......." All the pent up rage and frustration, years in the making, a lifetime's worth, came bursting forth. Jarod didn't know how to stop. All the things he had been denied, all the things that had been inflicted upon him, all the things taken from him, the colossal injustice of it all was just too much to bear any longer. He started screaming, the words were unintelligible. Jarod screamed at Sydney until he had no voice left to scream with. Parker and Sydney stood in mute horror as they watched him finally drop to his knees, his arms, still secured to the railing, stretched awkwardly up behind him. He slumped forward, blood now running down his arms, soaking into his clothes, heaving in enormous sobs, "Why me?.....It's not fair......."  
  
Sydney and Parker both knelt beside him.  
  
"Jarod, what can I do to help? Please?" Sydney was desperate.  
  
Jarod looked up at Sydney with such bitterness in his eyes that Sydney's heart almost broke in half.  
  
"All of my life you've been 'helping' me, but I don't think I could survive any more of your help, Herr Docktor. Just leave me alone." Jarod's voice was laced with anger and spite.  
  
Sydney recoiled in horror, falling backwards in shock. For a brief moment he was a child again, in Dachau with Jacob, trying to survive the nightmare, trying to survive Docktor Kreig. Sydney shook his head, struggling to shake off the memory and looked at Jarod. "You're not a monster Sydney" Jarod had told him one time. But now, as Sydney looked at the bleeding and broken form before him, Sydney knew in his heart that he had become that monster. Sydney saw himself the way that he imagined that Jarod must be seeing him.  
  
Sydney reached out to comfort Jarod, trying one last time, trying perhaps to deny what he knew was true, Jarod was not beyond his reach anymore. But the Pretender tried to twist away, putting even more strain on his arms and he cried out in pain. Sydney finally gave up. Sydney got up and approached Sam.  
  
"Unlock those cuffs now." He demanded.  
  
But Sam just stood there. There was no way he was doing anything until Mr Lyle or Mr Cox showed up.  
  
Lyle and Cox had been watching all this on the monitors, as they did all Jarod's sims with Sydney. Lyle was ecstatic. Things couldn't have gone any better if he had scripted it himself. He had been about to chew Parker out over her choice of wardrobe, but things had turned out rather splendidly he thought. There was no doubt that the Pretender had belonged to The Centre for a while now, but Lyle wanted more. Jarod would belong to him now, completely. In the past months, Lyle had watched Jarod become more and more isolated from his friends as he gave into despair. They had very carefully and painstakingly removed every positive emotion from Jarod's life and immersed him in negative ones. Jarod had no friends now, no allies. He was consumed by self-pity, jealously, bitterness and despair. But it was time to change all that. Lyle had shown remarkable self- restraint, never allowing himself to join in on the fun with Cox at Jarod's 'discipline' sessions. How he had yearned to be a part of that. But he had instead, satisfied himself by watching on the monitors. And he had been dying to tell Jarod about his L, but it would make it things awkward between them if Jarod found out what he had done, and he was determined that Jarod would be his friend. So it would have to remain his guilty little secret. Just knowing it was there was enough to bring a smile to his face. His time was finally here. After a quick look at Cox, he stood and made his way to the lab.  
  
When the doors opened, Sam breathed a sigh of relief as Mr Lyle walked in, followed by Willie. Jarod was practically hanging by his bloody and mangled wrists and Sydney and Parker were on the floor near him trying to offer comfort. Lyle bit back his smile. It was time to seal the deal.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?"  
  
Both Parker's and Sydney's heads swung up to look at Lyle. Sydney climbed to his feet and tried to block his path to Jarod.  
  
"Don't you touch him you bastard!"  
  
"Out of my way old man." Lyle effortlessly pushed Sydney out of his way. He knelt beside the sobbing Pretender.  
  
"Jarod, what have they done to you?"  
  
As Jarod hung there, some tiny part of him knew that none of this was Sydney or Parker's fault. But he had locked that part of himself away in order to survive. And he stubbornly refused to allow it to surface now, for if he did, that was surely the path to madness. Jarod made his decision, without even realising that he had done so.  
  
Jarod looked up into Lyle's face and begged "Please Lyle, please get me out of here. Please, I'll do anything."  
  
"Shh Jarod. Of course you will." It took a massive force of will to suppress the smile. "It's alright. No-one will hurt you now, I promise." He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small key. He unlocked one of the cuffs and caught Jarod as he collapsed forward. He unlocked the second cuff and gently cradled Jarod, rocking him back and forth. When the worst of Jarod's emotions were spent, he called Sam and Willie over. Between the two of them, they carried Jarod off to the infirmary.  
  
Sydney and Parker watched in shock as Jarod was taken from the room.  
  
"Syd, what the hell just happened?" Parker could not believe what had just taken place, Jarod's reaction to Lyle the most astonishing thing of all.  
  
"I don't know. I don't know." Sydney sat at the desk, holding his head in his hands. "I think Jarod has just had a nervous breakdown."  
  
Lyle strode over to the two of them. His clothes were soaked with Jarod's blood.  
  
"I just want to thank the two of you. I couldn't have done it without you. Really." He was grinning from ear to ear. "But it looks like I ruined my suit."  
  
He sauntered to the door and paused, "Oh, and by the way, I don't think your services will be required any longer on the Jarod Project. We can take it from here."  
  
Parker looked at him with hatred and for the thousandth time she wondered how she could be related to this monster. But before either of them could respond, Lyle had left.  
  
Sydney's Office  
  
When Parker and Sydney returned to Sydney's office, it was to find Angelo curled on the floor.  
  
"Jarod gone" he was chanting over and over.  
  
Parker knelt down and gently grabbed the empath.  
  
"Angelo, what do you know about Jarod?" she asked in a surprisingly gentle voice.  
  
But Angelo just kept repeating the same thing over and over.  
  
Parker sighed and got up and moved over to Sydney, who was sitting at his desk, staring at nothing.  
  
"What do we do now Syd?" Parker hated being this out of control, but she could scarcely believe what she had just witnessed. Jarod had completely flipped out. Had he gone insane? Guilt ate at her. She had sentenced him to this. They had to do something. But what?  
  
SL-27  
  
After Jarod had been treated in the infirmary, he had been sedated and returned to his cell. When he awoke the next day, he claimed that he remembered little of what had happened, but Lyle suspected he was lying about this. When he returned to the sim lab for the first time, he looked around anxiously, but relaxed when he realised that neither Sydney nor Parker were there. When Cox walked in, Jarod stiffened.  
  
"Are you ready to get back to work Jarod?" Cox asked in that urbane voice that Jarod had come to hate. There was a sour look on Jarod's face. Jarod looked down at his wrists. They were wrapped in fresh bandages and they both ached terribly, they had not given him any painkillers.  
  
Cox noticed Jarod's look, and was not pleased when Jarod finally responded "Yes Mr Cox."  
  
"I hear a 'but' in there Jarod." Cox sat down behind the desk and tented his fingers in front of his face.  
  
Jarod shifted uncomfortably, looking at his feet.  
  
"Surely you don't think that you can dictate terms to me? That would be very foolish."  
  
Jarod mumbled something under his breath that Cox couldn't quite get. Jarod was very afraid of Cox, but even so, it was worth risking his wrath.  
  
Lyle had joined them. "What seems to be the problem here?"  
  
Jarod breathed a sigh of relief when Lyle walked in. This did not go unnoticed by either Lyle or Cox.  
  
"Jarod here, seems to want to add an addendum to his work contract. We are just about to begin negotiations. But I fear I have the upper hand."  
  
Lyle stepped between the mumbling Pretender and Mr Cox. He turned to face Jarod.  
  
"Jarod, what's wrong? Why don't you want to work?" he grabbed Jarod's hands gently and leaned in, with a low voice continued. "You know what it means if you refuse to cooperate. Even I can't protect you completely from Raines and Cox. Now what is the problem?"  
  
"It's just that" Jarod was clearly very nervous. When he looked up a Lyle, Lyle nodded, encouraging him to continue. "I can't work with him anymore. Please. I'll do the sims, but....."  
  
"Who Jarod?" Lyle knew full well who Jarod was talking about, but he wanted him to say it.  
  
After some more muttering and feet shuffling Jarod spoke the name, it was barely a whisper.  
  
"Sydney."  
  
Lyle turned around and beamed at Cox.  
  
"I'm sure we can arrange that, can't we Mr Cox?"  
  
"Well, yes of course." Cox was always happy to oblige.  
  
When Jarod was escorted back to his cell that night, Lyle was waiting outside the cell.  
  
"I can take it from here." He dismissed the sweeper. As he keyed the code into the lock to open the door to Jarod's cell, he silently handed Jarod a tiny item, carefully avoiding the ever-watchful eyes of the cameras. As Lyle gently pushed Jarod forward into the cell, Jarod surreptitiously looked at the tiny package in his hand. Tears sprang to his eyes as he heaved in a surprised breath. He turned to look at Lyle, but the door had already banged shut.  
  
It seemed a gift of astonishing generosity. Jarod was completely undone by it. He clutched his tiny treasure to his chest, careful not to crush it. He sighed with pleasure, a single tear tracking down his cheek. It did not bother him that this is what he had been reduced to. He knew that he had sold his soul and had allied himself with the devil, but the most amazing thing of all was that he didn't care. Lofty matters such as these no longer concerned him. Ethics and morality were best left to those who had choices.  
  
Lyle caressed the closed cell door and whispered.  
  
"You belong to me now Jarod, and you always will."  
  
As Lyle walked away, he smiled to himself. He had just purchased himself a Pretender for the bargain basement price of a packet of Pez refills. He had always known that he and Jarod could do great things together. He had been determined that they would be friends. Too bad Jarod hadn't been smarter enough to figure that out for himself any earlier. Jarod might have saved himself a lot of grief, but then again, would have denied Lyle the sweet pleasure of breaking him.  
  
The End 


End file.
